The Rosewood
by Cowpuppy
Summary: The Rosewood is the source of all life in the world, but it hides dark secrets within its depths. Emily meets Paige, a ranger tasked with protecting the Wood, but in the process draws the attention of a mysterious entity named 'A'. In order to survive, Emily must flee with Paige into the Wood. The journey will bring them closer, but will they ever be free of A? Fantasy AU, Paily.
1. A Meeting by Stone

_Welcome to the first fanfiction I've written in years! I'm very happy you're here. This is my first Pretty Little Liars fanfiction. I've got a bit of it planned out and in process, so it should update fairly regularly. I hope you don't find high fantasy too odd as a choice of genre for a PLL fic! I'm a fantasy writer by nature, I suppose. In any case, while the idea of it may be odd up front, I actually think it works quite well and that the characters - especially Ms. McCullers - lend themselves well to it.  
_

_Anyway, that's enough talking from me. Enjoy!_

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Chapter One  
[A Meeting by Stone]

Silhouetted by flowers, Emily slept. The blooms reached up to the spring sun, yearning for its light. It obliged, pouring warmth down over the field, covering the waiting petals and the napping girl with its radiance. A cool breeze swept across the expanse and the ground shimmered as the blades of grass swayed in its pull.

The wind tugged a prickly piece of grass closer and closer to Emily's cheek. As the scratchy stalk scraped her skin, her eyelids fluttered open, then dove closed again as the full effect of the sun hit the brown eyes behind them. She raised a tanned hand to shade them and sat up, pulling her knees in close. She opened her mouth in a wide yawn.

She was alone in the sea of blossoms. Rising to her feet, she stretched her arms up to the sky, letting the stiffness in her joints and muscles melt away. As she relaxed, she began to walk, her long strides carrying her across the field towards her hometown.

It sat a little ways in the distance, a brown patch against the dark green-black of the Wood behind it. The Wood - the Rosewood - seemed to stretch on forever, its hulking shape crouched on the horizon as far as her eye could see. Beyond that lay the mountains, so distant and pale that they might be ghosts or merely a creation of her mind, conjured to reassure her that the Wood did not, could not, stretch on forever. She shuddered, as she did each time she looked at it.

Glancing over her shoulder, she regarded the world behind her. It stretched on, flat all the way to the horizon, a green sea out as far as the eye could see. The grass ended, she knew, off in the distance. If she walked that way for days, she would find its edge. The ground would grow hard and coarse beneath her feet. The grass would become thinner and thinner until only a few stray tufts could be found. Then she would find herself at the edge of the world, with nothing but rock and desert ahead of her. And if she should walk further, into eternity, eventually she would come full circle, and the grass would grow thick and dense around her ankles, and she would see the Rosewood ahead of her once again. It was the center of all things.

She focused her eyes again on the town, and with each step that brought her closer, it became easier and easier to force the ominous Wood from her thoughts. The closer she came, the clearer the town became, and before long she could make out the shapes closest to her.

The tombstones stood, flat and gray, a few jagged teeth rising from mottled gums. It was not a large graveyard; she could walk around it, if she so chose. Yet her path wound between the worn markers, her arms wrapped around herself as a chill slithered up her spine. Her eyes fell on the names carved into the flat stones without reading them. She could feel the skin pull tight around her temples.

Every time she came this way, she found herself in the same place, alone in front of the same grave. This time was no different, and without active thought she arrived, that particular grave rising up in front of her as it always did.

This time, however, she was not alone.

She couldn't see the face of the other person. She stepped closer. Her eyes scanned across the leather armor, the sword worn ready at the waist, the hair pulled into a long braid. Her footsteps soft, she drew closer, swinging wide around the figure until she could catch a glimpse of a face.

As she came around, she saw that the stranger was a woman, about her age and size. The scowl on her face matched her aggressive pose. Emily regarded her for a while, wondering if she should speak, when the thought struck her that she had seen this woman before. As she racked her mind for the stranger's identity, the person in question noticed her.

Her hand flashed to the sword at her side as her body turned and dropped into a fighting position. As Emily threw up her hands and took a step back, ready to protest, the woman's face morphed first from suspicion into puzzlement, and then from puzzlement into recognition.

"Em-" She stumbled, tried again. "Fields?"

Emily lowered her hands, the confusion on her face mirroring the look that had crossed the stranger's face just a moment before. She searched the other woman's oval face, meeting the dark brown eyes she found there with her own, and the answer came to her.

"Paige? Paige McCullers?"

Paige hooked her thumbs into her waistband as she sank into a relaxed pose. "You got it." She smirked.

Emily returned the smile, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "When did you get back into town?"

Paige shrugged. "Just now," she said. "How, er, how have you been?"

"Good, good." Emily shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She cleared her throat. "You're a ranger now… right?"

The other girl smiled, a genuine one this time. "Yep. It's good work." Her eyes shone and her body language was animated as she spoke. "Actually, it's better than good work. It's exciting and it's, well, it's beyond anything I ever imagined. The Wood holds so many secrets. I still haven't learned them all."

"I don't remember you being this talkative," said Emily with a chuckle.

Paige beamed and glanced down at the ground. Soon, however, the smile faded from her face. She glanced up at Emily from under furrowed brows. "The things I used to say weren't pleasant."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing at her upper arms as a chill crossed her skin and raised gooseflesh in its path. "It's all right."

"It's not. I was horrible."

"_She_ was horrible. Especially to you. I don't blame you for the way you acted."

"You're too forgiving," said Paige.

Silence fell between them as they both found their eyes wandering to the grave beside them. Paige's face darkened again, taking on the same look it had had when Emily found her. "When did it happen?"

Their eyes met again and Emily pursed her lips before answering. "One year ago." She lowered her eyes again, eyelids falling heavy as she read the name on the tombstone - Alison. She took a step towards it, reaching out her fingers to trace the letters hewn into the rock. Paige stood beside her, brows diving into an ever-deeper frown. She cleared her throat. "Well, I should get going." The statement was barely more than a low growl.

Emily turned to look at the other girl once more. "It really is all right, you know."

Paige raised her eyes to Emily's again and tried to speak, but just as the words were leaving her lips, Emily doubled over, one hand on her temple and the other reaching out towards Paige.

"Fields? Emily!" Paige closed the gap between them, catching Emily as the girl's legs collapsed beneath her. She wrapped one arm about Emily's shoulders and supported the body against her own. She called Emily's name, the pitch of her voice rising with every call.

Emily could not hear her; her world had gone dark. The only sounds were high and shrill, ringing in her ears and slicing through her skull. She squeezed her eyes and ground her teeth, but the pain and the noise refused to leave her alone. As the tearing screech built to a critical point, it stopped with a snap. She opened her eyes but the world remained dark. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she looked around, searching for any speck of light, whipping her head about as she searched.

Paige brushed a loose lock of hair away from Emily's face as the other girl seemed to relax. The tension melted out of her visage, brows sinking back and jaw falling open. "Em," Paige whispered. She began to call Emily's name one more time when the body in her arms stiffened. Emily's eyes shot wide open, though they seemed unfocused, staring off into the sky. Paige grimaced, tightening her hold as she wrapped herself around the other girl and waited for her to return.

A light appeared in front of Emily, dim and hazy. She squinted her eyes as she watched it grow brighter and larger. As it grew, its shape became clearer until it took on the form of a person. It was a woman's figure, shorter than Emily; she was dressed in a flowing black dress and a black veil obscured her face.

The woman giggled. "Looks like I've found a live one." She reached out a black-gloved hand and touched the side of Emily's face. Emily stumbled backward, jerking her head away from the touch.

"Wh- who are you? What's going on?"

The woman giggled again. "You don't need to know that." She tipped her head back, gazing up above her; Emily followed her gaze but the space overhead held nothing but darkness. She lowered her head again, studying the stranger as the stranger studied the blackness.

After a few moments, the woman leveled her gaze to Emily again, or so Emily supposed, for the veil hid all details of the woman's face. "Excellent. Thank you, Emily, my dear." She curtsied, inclining her head in a nod, then turned and began to walk away.

"How do you know my name? Wait!" Emily ran after her, but her steps brought her no closer; the woman became smaller and more indistinct with every step. As the shape vanished into a tiny pinprick of light in the distance, the world around them grew lighter, the black fading into gray and the gray fading into white. Just before the whiteness burned everything away, she caught a glimpse, fuzzy and indistinct, of a large stone room and a figure moving towards her. But the light grew brighter and brighter and she had to shut her eyes to block it out. She raised her hands to her ears as the screeching whine returned and the pain shot through her head and jaw and it felt as though her teeth might shatter in her mouth in resonance.

Then it faded, seeping out of her and away into nothingness.

Paige let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as Emily's body relaxed in her arms, her wide eyes fluttering closed. She let Emily sink down until her head was resting in her lap, then she raised a hand to her forehead and wiped away the sheen that had formed there. As Emily stirred again, she leaned over her, watching her, waiting for her to wake.

Emily's eyes slid open. She flinched as she saw Paige's face hanging above her, but the tension melted away as she remembered where she was. She sat up; Paige scooted away from her though she kept a hand on Emily's back, rubbing it up and down as the other girl gulped down air like she'd never be able to breathe again.

"Are you all right?" Paige asked after Emily had composed herself. Emily nodded, then tried to stand. Her legs wobbled, and though she managed to get herself onto her knees, no amount of struggling could get her any further. Paige bolted upright, scrambling to her feet. "Here," she said, bending down and offering Emily both of her hands. Emily gripped Paige's wrists and the other woman pulled her to her feet, steadying her as she swayed. "Don't worry." Paige looped an arm around Emily's waist as she pulled one of Emily's arms over her shoulders.

"Thanks." Emily steadied herself, letting Paige bear some of her weight while she put as much force on her legs as she dared. They swayed in place for a moment, as they sought some kind of equilibrium. When they seemed to reach a point of balance, they set out for the town.

"Want me to take you home?" Paige's voice was strained as she supported the other girl.

"Oh, I think I'll be fine in just a minute," said Emily, but as she spoke she stumbled, her knees buckling beneath her.

Paige stopped, sucking breath in through her teeth, and hauled Emily back upright. "I don't think so, Fields."

They walked on, their shuffling pace quickening as the strength seeped back into Emily's legs. By the time they reached Emily's house, she could walk on her own, though Paige insisted on walking beside her, palm resting between her shoulders. Paige opened the door and walked her inside, helping her into a chair.

"Thank you, again, so much," said Emily, reaching out to give Paige's hand a squeeze. Paige shook her head as she pulled her hand away. "It was nothing." She took a look around the room, then at Emily again. "Has that ever happened before?"

It was Emily's turn to shake her head. "Never." She leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees and wringing her hands. "I have no idea what happened."

Paige leaned back, propping herself up against the table with her palms. She stared hard at the floor, glancing over at Emily every now and then. Emily lifted her own head to look up at Paige, her brows knitting together as she watched the other's furtive glances. "What is it?"

The armored girl crossed her arms. "This is probably going to sound weird, but did you… see anything?"

Emily rocked back in her seat, her eyes widening and her eyebrows jumping towards her hairline. "How did you know that?"

Paige locked eyes with Emily. "Did you see a woman?"

The breath caught in Emily's throat. "Yes. A woman in black."

A look of pain flitted across Paige's face and her mouth hung slightly agape as she looked away from Emily again. Emily rose from her chair to stand in front of Paige, moving herself into the other girl's line of sight. "What?" The question creaked from her throat, forced out only through a herculean effort, and it sounded flat and curt. Paige skittered away, breaking Emily's eye contact.

The silence hung in the air, thick and heavy. As Emily sucked in another breath in preparation for another question, the other spoke.

"I think you're a messenger." Paige turned about as Emily processed the statement. "I probably need to explain," she said with a half-smile as she saw Emily's face screwed up in confusion.

"Please," said Emily, waving her hand to another chair as she retook her own seat. Paige sighed and sat down opposite her, clasping her hands together in her lap.

"You remember, I said that the Wood had its secrets?" Paige began. Emily nodded. "I haven't learned most of them. I haven't learned many at all, actually. But I know some. There are some that are more important than others. The messengers are one of those."

She paused, taking a deep breath. Emily waited, slouching in her chair.

"The messengers are… well, they have powers. Abilities. They're children of the Wood. Not that we aren't all children of the Wood; we all get to live because it exists. Without it we'd be nothing, nowhere. But the messengers are special. Touched. They can communicate with other messengers - across any distance - as long as they're within the Wood's influence. They were meant to be guardians of the Wood, in tune with the Wood itself.

"But years ago, I don't know how many, one of the messengers took things into her own hands. She severed the messengers' connections with each other and drew them all to herself. She cast aside her old identity and became a witch, known only as 'A'."

Emily jumped in. "But I thought those were just ghost stories. I thought she was made-up."

Paige shook her head. "She's completely real. And she's worse than the stories make her out to be. Messengers communicate through their senses. When one messenger connects with another, she can send her experiences - what she sees, what she hears, and so on - to the other. So when A co-opted the messengers for herself, they became another set of eyes for her. The messengers became spies. Completely unwilling, of course." She stopped, inclining her head toward Emily. "There's no way to tell if someone is a messenger until she uses them for the first time. She doesn't even know. But every so often she calls out, and sometimes she finds someone. Today she found you."

"So what do I do? Can she do that again?"

"Now that she knows where you are? Yes, and she's probably sent her goons on their way here already."

"What? Why? How?" Emily shot up from her slouch. Her eyes were wide and the color had drained from her face. Her questions spilled out of her in quick succession, her voice tinny as it squeezed through her tightening throat.

Paige shook her head. "I told you, she sees what you see. When you fell you were looking straight up at the sky. I should have covered your eyes. I'm so_ stupid_!" Paige pounded a fist on the table, twice. She raised her other hand to her forehead, massaging her temple with a thumb.

"Paige! What are you talking about?"

"The sky, Fields! If she can see the sky, she can figure out where you are. She can't just leave a messenger wandering about. What good would that do her? When she finds messengers, she takes them. She makes them her own." She stood up, pacing away. Her eyes were riveted on the ground as she spoke. "You need to get out of here. You need to get into the Wood."

"Are you crazy? I wouldn't last a day in there."

"You don't have a choice. If you stay here, she'll find you. And the only other place to go is the Wood. Besides, I'm a ranger, remember? My job is to know the Wood."

Emily watched Paige pace. "You mean you'd go with me?" Paige paused a moment, met Emily's eyes, and nodded. Emily took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, before releasing a sigh and shaking her head. "Now I'm the crazy one. No, McCullers, I can't go. This is just too much. This is insane."

"Fields!"

"No! Please, please just leave me alone."

Paige screwed up her face, opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, then let out a huff, turned on her heel and stormed out of the house.

Emily watched her leave. She sank back into her chair and looked up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, and the image of the woman in black - A - rose in her mind. A figment of her imagination, this time. Perhaps that was what it had been before. Yes, that made sense. She stood and crossed to the pantry to look for something to eat. She just needed a little sustenance. She'd spent too much time lying in the sun. That must be it.

But Paige's words still rattled around in her head. A messenger, she had said. Messages, A, the Rosewood… no, it was over now. And once Paige went back into the Wood, she need never think about A, or the secrets of the Wood, or even Paige McCullers herself ever again.

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_So, there you have it. Chapter One of what could be a fairly lengthy tale. I hope you've enjoyed it. If you're feeling generous, of course, I welcome criticism and comments._

_And since I forgot to mention above, and I'm not sure what the actual requirements are, but it seems to be standard practice: Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars or any of its characters represented herein, and accordingly this work was created for no profit. Etc., etc._


	2. Fire and Water

_A big thanks to everyone who gave this story a chance last week! Whether you reviewed or followed or simply read it in privacy, I appreciate the time you were willing to give to me and my little fantasy fanfiction. Hopefully this new chapter is at least equally as enjoyable!_

_As always, I don't own Pretty Little Liars or any of the characters represented herein._

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Chapter Two  
[Fire and Water]

Another day or so passed, and Emily went about her usual business. She helped her parents with the rigors of their day-to-day existence, farming and caring for livestock. They, and the whole village, were largely self-sufficient. Their lives were full of tedium, the same tasks in front of them every day when they woke. But they were also full of simple joys and comforts. They owed it all to the Rosewood, and so they loved it, and feared it, living their lives right up against it without ever daring to venture inside.

Emily was deep in thought as she and her parents shared supper. Pam glanced at her daughter, then at her husband, who returned the look.

"Is everything all right, honey?"

Emily looked up to find her mother's gaze upon her. She sat up straighter in her chair, forcing the corners of her mouth into a smile. "Oh. Yeah, of course."

Wayne reached out a broad hand and laid it on his daughter's shoulder. "You've been quiet the past few days."

Emily laid her hand over her father's and gave it a squeeze. "I'm fine, Dad."

He gave his daughter a smile, dark eyes twinkling. As he turned back to the table, ready to resume his meal, the sound of voices drifted in through the windows. Wayne stood and crossed to the wall, peering out into the darkness.

As he bent down to get a better view, he froze with a jerk.

"Wayne?" Pam half-rose from her seat, her eyes riveted to her husband's back.

Wayne stormed away from the window and began pulling on his hat and jacket.

"Wayne!" His wife was fully out of her seat now, one hand resting flat on the tabletop, the other curled over her heart. Emily's eyes darted from one parent to the other.

Wayne turned to Pam, his face rigid. "Fire in the village. Stay here, both of you." He crossed to his wife, bending down to kiss her forehead, then he did the same to their daughter. "Stay here!" He bellowed the order over his shoulder as he swept out the door.

Now Emily was up from her chair and standing by the window. She watched her father's figure speed down the path that wound its way into the center of town. In the distance, bright behind the silhouettes of the buildings, she saw the hazy orange glow of growing flames and the billowing black smoke that rose up into the sky.

One hand clapped over her mouth as the other clutched at her stomach. Her supper churned there, suddenly feeling like a stone in her belly. She choked down the urge to be sick then and there. Her mind flashed to Paige's words - _she's probably sent her goons on their way here already_.

In a flash she had grabbed a cloak and was out the door and running towards town, her mother's frantic calls echoing behind her.

Every stride brought her closer to town. The din of shouting voices and crackling wood drowned out the soft thudding of her footsteps against the dirt path. The buildings grew thicker around her, pressing in on either side, until at last she burst out into the main square. The entire village had gathered there, it seemed, and people clutched each other, muttering and wailing and coughing. Above the dark mass of people, she could see one of the buildings engulfed in roiling flame. The heat splashed against her face and she flinched.

Her father was nowhere to be seen. She pulled her hood up over her head and pushed her way through the crowd to the front.

The villagers had formed in a half-circle, leaving an open space in the center. A trio of black-hooded men stood there. Two held torches and glanced occasionally at the flaming building, ugly grins on their faces. One stood square, a sword in his hand, as he faced off against the much smaller figure that stood in front of him.

Catching sight of the figure in profile, Emily recognized her at once. Paige was crouched, sword held in two hands in front of her. Behind her knelt Wayne Fields.

"I just want to ask him a question about his daughter, ranger." The growl came from the central hooded figure. Beneath the shadow of his hood, Emily could see a grizzled, square chin.

"You won't touch him." Paige adjusted her balance.

The man lunged with his sword and Paige danced out of the way, turning his blade with her own and directing him away from both herself and Wayne. The move turned them around; Paige now faced Emily and Emily could only see the brute's back.

Wayne turned with them, keeping his eyes on the hulking hooded figure. As he turned to face her head on, Emily saw the bruise on his face above his eye, the blood smeared across his chin from a split lip. She gasped, and was about to cry out to him, when their eyes met. Wayne's eyes widened, and he pressed his lips together, shaking his head ever so slightly.

With a groan, he rose to his feet. "What do you want with my daughter?"

"We won't harm her," said the burly man. "I swear it. She just needs to come with us. But we will burn this village to the ground if we have to, and in the end we will find her."

Wayne closed his eyes, breathing hard. He let his head hang limp from his neck. His expression pained, he opened his eyes and fixed the hooded shadow with a stare.

"All right." He grimaced. "She's at home. I'll take you there. Just... leave the village alone."

The hooded man smiled, showing yellowed teeth. "A wise choice." He took a step forward.

Paige mirrored the step, her eyes fixed on the shadows of the man's face. The skin about her temples was drawn tight and her jaw was clenched.

"Step aside, ranger." The yellow smile flipped into a scowl.

"Ranger," said Wayne.

"You can't let them have her!" Paige turned her head towards Wayne, still behind her, though her gaze never left the brute.

"We just want the girl, ranger. We won't hurt anyone else if we don't have to. Even you." The brute took another step forward.

"Ranger," said Wayne again, clapping a hand on Paige's shoulder. She flinched. "Look ahead. Don't you see?" As he spoke, he squeezed her shoulder. "I can't sacrifice the whole village, even for my daughter."

She didn't hear his last words, however, for her eyes had drifted away when he first spoke. _Look ahead_. She obeyed as he squeezed, and in the crowd, ahead of her, she found Emily's face, wide eyes reflecting the flickering tongues of fire.

Her lungs expelled a great breath and she lowered her sword. The brute grinned, then dived, swinging his fist toward her nose. Bone met bone and pain bloomed in front of her. She hit the ground, hard; the air went out of her. As she held her hands in front of her, unable to grasp at either her bleeding face or her aching chest, her attacker sneered. "Don't play hero." Her eyes followed his heels as he strode towards Wayne Fields, laying his monstrous hand on the back of the other man's neck.

The crowd parted as Wayne led them away. Emily watched her father's back as the trio escorted him in the opposite direction of her home.

Again, she felt the impulse to follow. She took two steps forward, her eyes fixed ahead, when something collided with her.

"Quiet." Someone had her in a tight grip, hand clapped over her mouth. She struggled. "Fields!" She heard her name hissed in her ear and froze. Paige seized her upper arm and began to drag her away through the crowd.

"Let me go!" Emily tried to shout, but could manage no more than a loud whisper. Paige gave no reply, but led Emily onward, toward the Wood. Emily stopped fighting, following Paige of her own volition. The other girl's face was set, her strides long, and her breath heavy. Blood spilled from her nose, splattering on the ground beneath them.

They reached the edge of the village; it pushed right up against the thick wall of trees that marked the beginning of the Wood. Paige walked toward it, laying a hand on the trunk of the closest tree as she passed, but Emily stopped dead in her tracks. A lump rose up in her throat. It was dark all around them, but above her, she could still see stars. Behind her, she could still see the outline of the village and the flames beginning to die. Ahead, she saw only darkness.

As Emily stopped behind her, Paige turned to look at the other girl. Her hand still gripped Emily's arm. In the faint light, she couldn't see the other girl's face but she heard her shallow breaths and she felt her tremble. With a sigh, Paige took a step towards Emily, releasing her arm. She let her hand drop until her fingers found Emily's, and she wrapped it tight between them.

The quick squeeze shook Emily from her stillness. She blinked and saw a smile, barely visible in the starlight, flit across the other girl's face. Her chest relaxed.

Hand in hand, they disappeared between the trees, their silhouettes melting into the shadows.

They made their way in relative silence. Paige's footing was sure but Emily stumbled, her toes catching on protruding roots and rocks. Paige held her hand, holding her steady when she tripped. Their path wound about, following no discernible trail. Even if there had been a trail, Emily wouldn't have been able to see it. Though her eyes adjusted to the darkness bit by bit, she could make out little more than vague shadows.

After walking quite a ways, Paige paused. They found themselves by a little stream trickling through the Wood, its happy gurgling echoing in stark contrast to the empty silence that had surrounded them before. She released Emily's hand and walked up to the streambed, kneeling down to inspect the ground. Satisfied, she stood up, put two fingers to her mouth, and whistled.

The sound was loud; as it rang out around them, there was a flurry of activity. Birds chirped and flew away, their motions shaking the branches above their heads.

As the brief chaos faded, they heard a new sound. Just a little ways away echoed the soft plodding of hooves on the ground. A smile spread across Paige's face. "There you are." She headed towards the noise and Emily followed.

Paige greeted the horse that emerged, rubbing its long face with a hand. "This is Pru," she said. Emily walked forward, holding out her hand toward the horse. It came close to her, greeting her, before turning back to nudge Paige. Paiged laughed. "All right, sorry." She turned to Emily. "She doesn't like when I leave her alone like that."

"She just waited here for you?"

"Yep. She's a special girl." Patting Pru one last time, she walked around to the side where her saddlebags hung. She undid the clasps, rifling through the contents until she pulled out a pile of clothes, including a pair of trousers. She held these out to Emily. "You want these? You might find it easier to walk in them."

Emily glanced down at her dress. While the skirt was loose, and didn't restrict her movement too much, it had been getting caught in the prickly bushes that littered the forest floor. She reached out to take the clothes from Paige, who gave her a little nod and strolled away to the stream with a canteen.

She crouched down by the edge of the stream, lowering the bottle into the water. As she waited for it to fill, she glanced back over her shoulder. It was dark and Emily was too far away for her to see much beside just a general impression of motion. Just as well. As she rocked back onto her heels, stuffing the cork back into her canteen, Emily walked over to join her, followed by Pru.

Paige glanced up and was met with a surprised cry.

"Paige, your face!" Emily, still holding her dress, stood above her, her own face creased with concern. Paige reached a hand up to her nose and flinched with a groan as pain shot through her skull. She felt the blood that covered her lips and chin, by this point caked-on and flaking.

Emily knelt down beside Paige, peering into the other girl's face. Just above their heads, the foliage parted just enough to let in the dim moonlight and illuminate the other girl's features. Paige looked back with her wide brown eyes. "I'm fine," she said, but then winced as her hand brushed too hard against the bruised appendage. Emily frowned. "You're not. Here-" she seized the sleeve of her dress and ripped off a swath of fabric. She dipped it in the clear stream water, then turned again to Paige. She reached out with one hand, cupping Paige's jaw as she raised the cloth to dab away the blood.

She paused, holding Paige's gaze. The touch caught her off-guard, stealing her breath for a heartbeat. Despite Paige carrying her home and dragging her out of the crowd, despite Paige holding her hand as she stumbled through the Wood, this was the first time they had touched skin-to-skin. The tiniest bit of warmth crept into her cheeks.

Then the heartbeat ended with an extra-powerful _thump _and the breath returned to her lungs, and she focused her eyes on the blood as she wiped it away.

She worked swiftly, but gently, and before long she had cleared away most of the blood. She peered at the bruising exposed by her work.

"I don't think it's broken." She rinsed the cloth, cleaning out a good amount of the blood, then soaked it, squeezed the excess water from it, and folded it into a damp square. She handed the cold packet to Paige. "Hold that over it." Paige obliged, a shiver rattling down her spine.

"Thanks," she said, her voice distorted by the pressure on her nose. Emily smiled.

"I still owe you." She got to her feet. "This is for taking care of me after… my episode. But I still owe you for protecting me from those men."

"You don't owe me anything." Paige stood up after her and crossed to Pru, patting her on the neck. The horse flicked her ears and followed on her own – she wore no halter - as Paige crossed the stream and began to make her way back into the black depths of the Wood. "It's just part of my job."

Emily took a few hurried steps, jogging past Pru to draw up closer to Paige. "But I _do_ owe you, McCullers. Please, let me have that much."

Paige shrugged. "All right. You owe me one. I'll consider it paid when you do."

As they walked along, Emily found herself stumbling less. Though the sky of leaves above was still as dark as it had been, her eyes had finally adjusted to an adequate degree. Her ears picked up more sounds, too: the call of an owl, the rustling of some creature through the detritus, the soft plodding and snorting of Pru toiling behind them.

She took a deep breath of the forest air; it was cool in her lungs and musty with the scents of life and decay, of water and stone. She eyed Paige again; the other girl was picking her way through the forest, eyes darting from the ground to the world around her as she navigated. Emily ran her fingers over and behind her ear, though her hair required no tucking. "Have you met any other messengers before?"

"Hm?" Paige glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah, I've met a few. I'd never seen a message being sent, though."

"But you knew what it was."

"I figured it out later, after it happened." Paige grimaced. "I wish I'd figured it out sooner; if I had, you wouldn't be in this mess."

Emily shook her head but made no comment; they'd been down this path before and she didn't feel like retreading it. "Why go to all this trouble, though? To save me?"

Paige swallowed. "I'm supposed to protect the Rosewood's people."

"But you were willing to sacrifice my entire village just for me. They could be back there right now setting every building on fire when they realize I'm not there. How am I worth that?"

Paige stopped short, causing Pru to whinny behind her. She looked at Emily.

"Because you're a messenger."

Emily frowned. "That's not an answer. Why is that so important, if all I am is a spy? Why do you and this 'A' person care so much?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try."

Paige pressed her lips together, fixing Emily with a dark look, but eventually shook her head and let out a sigh. "Fine. But we need to keep walking." She stroked Pru again, whispering to the horse while Emily waited, then they all resumed their trek. Paige began to speak as they settled into a good rhythm. "The messengers are children of the Wood, and I mean that about as literally as possible considering that I'm talking about a forest. People on the outside talk about being 'children of the Rosewood,' but all they mean is that they owe the Rosewood for their livelihood. Messengers are different. For whatever reason, sometimes a little bit of the, well, the essence of the Wood is embedded in a person from the time they're born. Those people are messengers.

"I told you the other day that messengers have abilities, but I only mentioned one. Their powers actually go a lot deeper. Or, at least, they're supposed to.

"When 'A' stole the messengers for herself, she disrupted their abilities, except for the one that benefited her. What used to be easy for messengers became very hard - only a few of them can tap into their true powers now. But the thing is, 'A' is very afraid of the ones that can. They're the only ones who could ever conceivably defeat her. She needs the messengers to be loyal to her. She can't afford to let them walk free.

"Of course, once she has them, she has no problem with awakening their powers. So it's absolutely critical that she not be allowed to get her hands on any more than she already has. As a ranger, if I find a messenger, I have to do whatever it takes to stop her." Her face fell. "Even if it means sacrificing a village."

"Or my parents."

Paige's head whipped around as Emily spoke, her face contorted, but Emily's eyes were downcast. Paige turned forward again, swallowed, and increased the length of her stride.

They spoke no more, despite walking for a few more hours. Emily's thoughts lay behind them, with the village and her parents, and Paige's mind was focused on the journey ahead – and, when she wasn't careful, on the look on Emily's face when she'd brought up her parents. So absorbed in their own musings, the time passed quickly; they did not stop until Emily began to yawn and shuffle and Pru began to nudge Paige with a snort. Confronted with her companions' fatigue, Paige searched their immediate area and led them to a small spot clear enough of trees that they could make camp. The canopy was thinner overhead, but the sky was still obscured.

Emily sank down against a tree trunk, her feet throbbing and aching. Paige set about building their camp. She strung up a makeshift shelter and built a small, hot fire beside it. Emily watched her work, rubbing her hands over the embers as Paige patrolled the outer edges of the camp, looking for any signs of trouble. Eventually, Paige settled down, retrieving some dry food from Pru's saddlebags. She handed the food to Emily then plopped down by the fire a few feet away from the other girl, suspending her canteen over it and waiting for the heat to boil away any impurities.

Tugging the blanket across her shoulders, Emily nibbled at her meager supper. She stared into the fire as it popped and crackled; her mind drawn back to the raging flames in the center of her village. She pulled her knees up close to her chest and rested her chin atop them. Paige glanced over at her companion, but Emily's hair had loosed itself from behind her ear and fell in a curtain, obscuring her face from view.

Emily remained frozen that way for a while, disturbed only when Paige handed her the cooled contents of the canteen. Her lips twitched as she took the container, but could not quite form a smile; her mood was not helped by the grim, apologetic look plastered across the other girl's face. She took a deep drink of water and sighed afterward; her mouth had been drier than she had realized. She handed the bottle back to Paige then stood and made her way to the simple shelter, curling up beneath its meager covering.

Moments before sleep claimed her entirely, as the thick fog of sleep descended, heavy, upon her, she had the vague impression of someone covering her coiled body with a thick blanket. She lifted her eyelids, just a sliver, to see someone kneel beside her. Though somewhere in her mind a tiny voice knew that it was Paige, the veil of slumber had already descended too far over her. The moment was soon forgotten as she drifted away into a world of utter repose.

* * *

_Well, that's it for Chapter Two. I hope you've enjoyed it! I encourage any comments or criticism; If you have the time, you would make my day by leaving a really thorough criticism. I'm always looking to improve and I know my writing is far from perfect! My biggest concerns are a) the effectiveness of my writing style and b) keeping the characterizations accurate, so comments regarding those are much appreciated. I welcome both reviews and private messages to that end.  
_

_Chapter Three will be up next week. If anyone is wondering, I'm looking at a weekly update schedule right now. My intent is to update every week on the same day, but the times may end up being a little bit greater than or less than a week as I figure out what day seems to work best. In any case, there shouldn't be any serious delays as I have a considerable amount of this written already._


	3. A Dance, A Shadow

_As always, I'd like to thank everyone who has given this story a chance. Thanks especially to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate the advice and suggestions! Believe me, each one was given serious consideration in editing this and future chapters.  
_

_I don't own Pretty Little Liars or any of the characters represented in this work._

* * *

Chapter Three  
[A Dance, A Shadow]

By the time Emily woke, Paige had already cleared most of the camp. The evidence of their stay had been covered up, at least as far as Emily was concerned. Paige stood in the center of the campsite, hands on her hips, muttering that it would just have to do. As Emily stirred, she turned to greet her.

"Morning." She crossed to where Emily sat and began taking down the shelter. Emily rubbed her eyes and blinked in the gray light. Her neck and back ached from sleeping on the hard ground. She stood, wincing as her joints cracked. Paige grimaced in sympathy. "You'll get used to it," she said, folding up Emily's blanket. Emily bent down to help her, winding up the rope that Paige had used to support the lean-to.

Before long, they had gathered everything together. As Paige tied down Pru's saddlebags, she flashed Emily a crooked grin. "Thanks for the help, Fields. I don't suppose that makes us even?"

A smile spread across Emily's face. "Not yet. I'll let you know when we're even." They both laughed, and Paige heaved a mental sigh of relief at the return of Emily's more good-natured self.

After feeding Pru and giving the site one last once-over, they headed out again. In the daylight, the way was clear, so their progress was quick. Emily took advantage of the increased visibility to look about. To her delight, they seemed to be surrounded by flowering shrubs; wild roses bloomed in every color as far as the eye could see. She knelt to pluck one, fingers ready to snap its stem, but Paige stepped in. She carefully examined the bush and, selecting a blossom, reached down into the bush as far as she could and snipped off the stem with her dagger.

"Leave no trace," she said as she handed the flower to Emily, a smile playing on her lips. Their fingers brushed as Emily accepted the gift, careful to avoid pricking her skin on the rose's thorns. "Or as little trace as possible." She began to sheathe her dagger but stopped, looked at it, and took the whole scabbard off of her belt and passed the weapon on to her companion. Emily hesitated before reaching out to take it. She drew the short blade, regarding its fine edge and dull polish. When she looked back up to Paige, the other smiled. "When we camp I'll teach you how to use it."

Emily put the dagger back in its sheath and hung it from her belt. "Thanks." Her voice was small. Paige had already begun walking away. Emily called out. "Paige?"

Paige turned around, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"You know it's not your fault, right?" She frowned as the life drained from Paige's face. "I got angry last night. I lost everything. It hurt. It still hurts." She sniffed, feeling the water beginning to well up in her eyes. She fought it down. "But everything that happened, that was because of 'A', not you. So you don't have to... to try so hard to make me feel better. To make yourself feel better. Not that I mind." She raised up the rose as evidence and offered a faint smile. "But you shouldn't beat yourself up over this, really."

"That's not... I'm not..." As her every attempt to speak ended with a stammer, Paige shook her head and let out an exaggerated breath. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." She returned Emily's smile. Realizing that she had held the other girl's gaze longer than intended, she cleared her throat. "Anyway, we should get moving."

Their day was uneventful; at times they walked on in pleasant silence, their ears filled with birdsong and the whisper of the wind through the Wood. At times they chattered, talking about the beauty of the Wood, the joys in their lives. For Emily, it was her days in the sun, hours spent lying in the grass as she had been the day it all went wrong. For Paige, it was the thrill of discovery, in finding a new part of the Wood or a new creature.

When they camped that night, the mood was far lighter than it had been the day before. Emily helped with the preparation, and after they'd gotten settled, they sat by the campfire. Paige regaled Emily with tales of her exploits, glancing at the other girl's face often to judge her reaction, beaming every time Emily laughed or smiled or said she wished she could have seen it.

Emily volunteered to take a shift on watch that night and after some arguing Paige obliged, though she took first shift and stayed up longer than their agreed-upon time. When she finally curled up under the lean-to, Emily sat beside her, dagger drawn and held at the ready. Paige had told her earlier to stand up and walk around on occasion, to listen to different parts of the Wood. Despite her companion's instructions, though, Emily remained by Paige's side. Her eyes traced the vague outlines of the trees around them and occasionally found their way to Paige McCullers' sleeping form, following the gentle ups and downs of her ribs as she slumbered.

The next day was much the same, though the land had begun to slope upwards and the going became rougher. When the land was flat, they would talk, but as the grade increased and their lungs and legs burned, they fell silent, focusing only on the next step. When they finally made camp, they both collapsed by the fire.

Emily pulled off her shoes, massaging her aching feet. She winced at the sight of the blisters on her heels. "How much farther, again?"

Paige was lying on the ground, propped up on her elbows. She'd kicked off her boots as well, and had thrown her leather armor in a pile on the ground. "We'll probably get there tomorrow." She took a gulp from her canteen, then passed it to Emily.

Emily took it and sipped from it. "And where exactly are we going again?" She corked the canteen, lying it on the ground between them. She pulled out her dagger, watching the reflection of fiery tongues dance across its surface.

"A ranger encampment. The nearest one." Paige pulled herself into a sitting position, then up onto her feet. She walked over to Emily and held out her hand. "Want to learn how to use that?"

Sheathing the dagger, Emily reached up and took Paige's hand in her own, letting herself be pulled to her feet. She swayed a bit at the top of her rise and Paige reached out to steady her. Their eyes locked; a smile appeared in the corners of Emily's mouth as Paige ducked her head to break the contact, a flush rising on her cheeks. She took a step back, clearing her throat.

Emily drew her dagger once more and Paige fell into the role of instructor. She led Emily through basic techniques, modeling various thrusts or bits of footwork. Emily studied her, watching her flow through the motions; without her thick armor, her slender frame practically danced across the earth, each movement lithe and precise. Her tunic hung loose about her body, flowing behind her as she swiveled and leapt about.

As Paige demonstrated, Emily tried to mimic her; she was not unsuccessful, but her movements were slow and clumsy. Still, Paige took Emily's attempts in stride. She was quick to correct and supply advice. Though she was not as artful as Paige, Emily learned quickly.

Though her face was lined with concentration, Paige's eyes glittered as her student passed each little test. She did not smile, but her energetic commands and rising voice bespoke her excitement. "Here," she said, as Emily practiced a particular stance. She moved in close, adjusting Emily's pose with her hands. Her back was to the fire and through the illuminated fabric of her shirt, Emily could see the shadowy outlines of her body beneath the drapes of cloth. As her stomach fluttered, Emily took a step back, feigning a wide yawn. Paige stepped back too, her beetled brows melting into a smile. She looked up at the leafy bower above their heads. "Yeah, I guess it's about that time." She crossed to her pile of clothing, pulling on her armor and boots once more. "I'll take first watch."

Emily smiled. "Thanks. And thanks for the lesson! I think I'm really starting to-"

Her hands shot to her skull as her knees buckled beneath her. She fell, first to her knees and then forward, landing face-first in the earth. The soft thump of her body meeting the ground alerted Paige, who whirled around, her armor only half-buckled.

"Shit!" She darted to the lean-to, seizing the blanket that lay there. Kneeling by Emily's head, she rolled the girl onto her back then draped the blanket over her, covering her eyes and face. She seized the canteen next and poured its contents over the smoldering embers of their fire, stomping out any light that remained with the bottom of her boot. Task complete, she knelt beside her prone friend. She took Emily's hand in her own and waited for the ordeal to begin.

Surrounded by darkness again, Emily regained her composure as soon as the splitting whine receded. She waited, her eyes fixed ahead of her, and soon enough she saw the growing point of light that signaled the appearance of 'A'. As 'A' drew closer, she took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and set her face into a firm frown.

"It's awfully rude to decline my invitation like that, you know." The black specter's veil swished as she crossed her arms.

Emily refused to answer. 'A' clucked her tongue.

"I would have thought your parents would raise you better than that."

Her parents. Emily flinched, collecting herself immediately after, but 'A' had already seen it.

"Oh, wondering what happened to Mommy and Daddy, are you?" She hummed. "Why don't you tell me where you are, and I'll let you in on the secret."

Emily snorted. "Can't you figure that out by yourself?"

Leaving one arm still crossed, 'A' raised the other and laid one finger against her temple. "I'm afraid your ranger friend has seen to that." She moved the hand away from her head and held it in front of her, inspecting it. "She has quite the grip. I don't suppose you'd tell me her name?"

No response. 'A' sighed. "I asked for that, I suppose. Passivity won't work with you, will it?" She crossed her arms again. "Fine. Let's go back to your parents then, shall we?" She walked around Emily to stand behind her. Emily turned, keeping her eyes focused on her enemy. "Would you like to see them again?" 'A' laughed. "Of course you would. I'm going to be generous, here. I'm going to forget your earlier slight and extend you another invitation. We'll have a little get-together: you, your parents, and me. Your parents are already at my place; they're just _dying_ of impatience waiting for you, so you'd best hurry along."

"You have them?" Emily's strong façade crumbled. Worry lines creased her face. "Show me!"

'A' shook her head. "I don't think you understand. It doesn't work that way." She faced Emily head-on. Her voice dropped in pitch. "_I _set the rules. _I _pull _your_ strings, not the other way around. You don't get to make demands." She let out a huff and straightened herself, smoothing out her black skirt. "Think about it, Emily." Her voice had resumed its cloying charm.

She turned and stalked away and the darkness began to lift. Emily had her hands on her temples as soon as 'A' turned her back. The bright light began to wash over her, burning away her tormentor's presence. Once again, through the blinding brilliance, she could just make out the stone room. The faint outline of the figure was there again; a girl? The girl's mouth moved as if to speak but the shrieking in Emily's head drowned it out and soon the glare scorched away all trace of the scene. And then, without fanfare, it all crept away.

Emily stirred; her body felt heavy. She raised an arm and felt something above her head. As she sat up, it fell away and she realized it was just the blanket. She looked around and found Paige kneeling beside her, little more than a dark shadow with the light from the fire extinguished. She took a deep breath of the crisp forest air.

"Well?" Paige rolled back off of her knees into a sitting position, crossing her legs in front of her.

Emily closed her eyes, letting her breaths fall into a slow rhythm. "She has my parents."

Paige sighed. "I thought as much."

"You knew?"

"I suspected." Paige looked away. "She won't let you be free. If her soldiers can't get you, then she'll take your parents. They're bait."

"Well, obviously." Emily bit her lip. "What am I going to do?" She covered her trembling lips with her hand as tears pooled in her eyes. The tears began to slide down her cheeks. Her body was wracked with great truncated gasps that hid a feral wail in the wasted breath they left behind.

Paige listened on as Emily's sobs began to grow, her face pained and her chest aching in sympathy, though she resisted reaching out. When Emily could hold back no longer, neither could Paige, and her arms wound their way about the other girl. She pulled Emily's head down, pressing her against her shoulder. "It's okay," she said, her words tickling Emily's ear as she spoke.

Emily buried her face in Paige's leather-clad shoulder, wrapping her arms around Paige. She found the unbuckled seams in the other girl's armor and slid her hands through them, knotting her fists in the tunic that hung against Paige's back. She tugged and squeezed as her howls fell muffled against Paige's stalwart shoulder.

They stayed that way until Emily's cries simmered down into small whimpers. Even when her heaving chest had slowed its pace and she could breathe without the tiny cracking hiccups that threatened to send her spiraling into despair again, Emily clung to Paige. Paige held her; only when Emily stirred did she unclasp her. Emily raised a hand to her eyes, wiping away the tear-salt and sweat-salt that clung to her cheeks. Her eyes and Paige's met, and Emily gave Paige a smile, though it had to work hard to break through the trembling, shaking pain that twinged in every muscle.

"Thanks," she whispered. Paige nodded her head, unable to move her lips and respond. Emily let out an impatient huff. "Look at me. I don't get it. I didn't cry when I thought they were _dead_ but I'm crying now? What's wrong with me?"

"You can't control these things," said Paige. "You didn't _know_ they were dead before. They could have gotten away and you wouldn't have known. But it's real now. You know 'A' has them."

Emily sighed. "Yeah. You're probably right. Thanks," she said again, reaching out to take Paige's hand. She gave it a quick squeeze and gave Paige a wan smile. "Well, I'm going to get some sleep. Night, Paige." She began to draw her hand away. Paige loosened her grip, but only just; Emily slipped her fingers from Paige's grasp, letting them trail against the other girl's palm until they were free and her hand dropped to her side.

Paige spoke as their connection broke. "Night, Fields." She turned her back as Emily crossed to the shelter, laid down and stared out at the sky. After she finished buckling her armor, she set to work rebuilding the fire, for she had suddenly begun to shiver.

She stayed up a little while longer, but eventually she doused the fire and crept over to the shelter. With a few days' journey behind them, and no sign of 'A' or her men, she decided they didn't need a watch that night. She laid down beside Emily, careful to leave a gap between their bodies. She listened to the soft whisper of the other girl's breath beside her and let it carry her off to sleep.

In the morning, Emily's melancholy had diminished, though it hung about in the shadows in her face and behind her eyes, lurking just beneath the surface of a casual glance.

"We'll find the encampment today?" she asked as she and Paige busied themselves clearing their camp.

Paige nodded. "We should. The Steward doesn't like to stay in one place for very long, but unless something's spooked them, I think we'll find them right where I left them."

"Who's this Steward? Will he be able to help me?"

Paige looked up from her crouch over the fire pit as she tried to disguise its existence as best as possible. "_She_. The Steward is a woman. And she's the leader of the rangers. She's supposed to be the high protector of the Rosewood, but the job's a lot less glorious since 'A' moved in." She shook her head. "And honestly, I don't know. I don't mean to be harsh, but 'A' isn't someone you take lightly. She's dangerous and vigilant around the clock." She rose to her feet. "But if anyone can help you, the Steward can. Ready to go?" She crossed over to Pru and stood beside the horse, her body turned towards Emily, a small smile on her face.

Emily returned the smile. "I'm all set." They began their walk. "Well, I suppose just asking her can't hurt. I have to try, for my parents' sake."

Paige, walking ahead, nodded. "They're your parents, after all."

The walk was even harder going than it had been the day before, and slower too. Pru had trouble tackling the steeper inclines head-on, so they were forced to wind their way up the side of the hill, zig-zagging back and forth as they inched closer to the top. To their relief, the top continued level for some distance, though it grew quite rocky and they progressed slowly, choosing their footing with care, for neither of them wanted to turn an ankle or see Pru do the same.

Further walking revealed that the land began to slope downward at a gentle pace, and the way became easy once again. "We're getting close," Paige said through labored breaths. "They should be just at the bottom."

They weren't just at the bottom.

They found themselves in a wide ravine that stretched on for some ways to either side, hills sloping up ahead and behind. A laughing brook snaked across the wide, flat bottom of the ravine, splitting it in two. Paige planted her fists on her hips as she scanned the scene. Her mouth was drawn into a line and her brows were creased, but the look in her eye was not one of frustration; it more closely mirrored the look she had worn when teaching Emily how to use the dagger. Emily was beginning to recognize the look as one of restrained excitement and piqued interest.

Emily stood beside Pru, stroking the tall animal as she watched Paige flit about the scene. "It doesn't look like anyone was ever here."

Paige laughed. "Oh, they were here all right. They left hints, though. They didn't flee in fear, just restlessness. They want to be found by the right person." She was coy on the nature of the hints, and Emily didn't ask. She waited, eyes taking in the whole picture. She wondered, as she traced the gauzy shapes of the leaves above her head, how she had ever been so terrified of the Wood. Her eyes fell on Paige, and she doubted that she would ever have thought of asking herself that question without the other girl's help. It was possible, she realized, that without Paige she would be in the clutches of 'A' by now.

By then, Paige had stood up, brushing dirt from her gloves and knees. "I think I know where they've gone, but there's always the chance that it'll be a bit of a wild goose chase." She hopped across the brook and returned to Emily's side. "I'm going to follow their trail, but I'd like you to stay here."

"Why do I have to stay?" asked Emily. Her tone was curious rather than indignant.

"The trail is really subtle. The more people that go, the more likely we are to disturb something and lose them completely. Anyway, I won't go far so you should be all right. I'll be within shouting distance. But if something does go wrong… well, Pru will be with you, so don't think twice about getting as far away as you can." She gave Emily a quick smile before turning away and scurrying up the other side of the ravine.

Emily watched her disappear over the top, then crossed to a large, flat rock by the stream and sat down. She pulled off her shoes and dangled her feet in the clear water, sighing as she broke the surface with her toes. She laid back on the rock, staring up above her; the sky flashed a brilliant blue in the tiny chinks between the woven boughs above her head. Beside her, Pru walked over to the dream and lowering her head to drink. Emily's ears were filled with the sounds of Pru's snuffling, the flick of her tail, the chatter of birds. The ceiling swayed in the breeze above her. Nature existed as a humming, quivering presence all around her.

Until she noticed the strain in the quiver; the sounds and sights had lost their loose abandon and seemed instead like a string pulled too taut. Without knowing why, she felt as though a finger hovered over the fiber and the slightest touch would set it to shaking.

She rose to her feet and reached a hand up to her hair. The snap of a twig sounded in the distance. The finger lashed out and gave the cord a violent pluck.

Her eyes sought the sound of the snap and found a figure stepping out from the trees, a bow held ready. Motion caught her eye and she saw another figure, and another. She didn't wait for them to approach but seized Pru's saddle and swung herself up onto the horse's back.

"Paige!" she screamed, the name tearing out of her throat. She spurred Pru on, leaning forward and wrapping her hands in the horse's mane. Pru broke into a run, speeding off down the center of the ravine. Above her, on the side of the gully where Paige had disappeared, Emily could see another rider atop a black horse, matching pace with Pru. "Come on, Pru," she said. She had no reins and could only rely on the horse to carry her from danger.

Tree trunks whipped past her as they powered on, Pru's hooves thundering against the earth beneath them. Still the other rider followed them. Soon, the sides of the gulch began to dip as the rise of the land flattened out. The other rider rode downhill now, their path angling straight toward Pru and Emily. As they drew together, the other horse leapt across the brook, cutting off the way; Pru reared up and Emily flailed, falling onto her back.

She squeezed her eyes closed, willing the pain in her spine and chest to go away. She coughed, choking on the air her lungs were struggling to capture. When she rolled onto her hands and knees she opened her eyes and saw the boots of the other rider in front of her. Digging her fingers into the leaves and mud, she raised her gaze to her aggressor, a wave of black hair falling across her face.

Their eyes met; Emily stared into the sharp, hawkish face.

"Who are you?" she asked between ragged gasps. The woman crossed her arms.

"I'm Spencer Hastings," she said, "and you're in my Wood."

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_And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed it. I have to say, I think this is my favorite chapter so far. The fact that I'm so proud of it means I must have made a million errors of judgment in writing it, so I invite any constructive criticism you can offer. My writing always needs improvement and any advice that can help me polish it even further is much appreciated._

_Chapter Four will be up next week!_


	4. Steward, Ranger, Teacher

_I'm so, **so** sorry that this is late. I've had it written forever, but it just wasn't right somehow. I couldn't figure out how to fix it, so I avoided it. But I can't do that any longer; it's not fair to those of you who have been reading for the past few weeks.  
_

_Before we get into Chapter Four proper, though, I'll address my reviewers from the last chapter. I suppose this could be done via PM but I'll be honest, one-on-one conversations kind of scare me. Not that any of you are scary people! I'm just frightened of interacting with people, in general. Part of the reason I started writing this was to force myself to interact more. Because as much as I'm terrified of interaction and being judged, I still believe that people are lovely in some way or another, and I like seeing those parts of people._

_To that end: **saii79**, thank you for reviewing every chapter so far! It really does brighten my day when I read your comments! So I'm glad I can brighten yours in return._

**_Guest _**_- if you want to be able to write like this, the best thing to do is write. Seriously! :) I haven't always been a halfway decent writer. If you could read some of the crap I once wrote... it's pretty bad. But I got better by reading and finding what other authors did that I did or didn't like and then practicing those things in my own writing. I read about writing and thought about writing. I still do, because I can always, always improve. There's no natural talent going on here - it's all the result of years of hard work._

_Okay, enough blabbing out of me. I hope you enjoy Chapter Four!_

_I don't own Pretty Little Liars or any of its characters represented in this work._

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Chapter Four  
[Steward, Ranger, Teacher]

As Emily gaped at the tall woman in front of her, Spencer snapped her fingers and two leather-clad men swooped in, hauling Emily to her feet. She grimaced, her dull back pain amplifying with the action.

"Who are you?" Spencer's eyes bored into Emily, her words striking out against her prisoner.

Emily caught her breath and looked the rigid woman in the face. "Emily," she said. "Emily Fields."

Spencer crossed her arms behind her back, rocking her hips to drop her weight onto one leg. "What are you doing here?"

Emily stood straighter, pulling against her captors' hold, but they tightened their grip. She flashed them a glare before speaking. "Do you work for 'A'?" She set her jaw and fixed her eyes on Hastings.

The object of her hostility froze, squinting. The skin about her temples tightened as she scanned Emily's face.

Spencer began to speak but a sound in the distance called her attention away. A voice. "Emily!" It called over and over, growing louder as it grew nearer. Spencer nodded to another of her companions, who drew a bow and pointed it in the direction of the sound. Emily tensed, straining against the hands that held her. "Don't!" Spencer glanced to the struggling girl, narrowed her eyes, and flicked her hand. The archer nodded, drawing back the bowstring and letting the arrow fly.

Emily felt warmth drain from her face as she cried out, but as the sound crossed her lips, another shout echoed through the forest.

"Oh, shit!" Paige's voice rang out clear. The thrashing of a human through the wood ceased, the arrow stopping the approaching girl in her tracks. Emily relaxed, but only a little; the archer had nocked another arrow and Spencer had raised her hand once more.

The tall woman ground her teeth. "Approach slowly!" she called out towards Paige, her deep voice booming out to fill the gaps between the trees. "Lower your weapons!"

Time crept along, seconds creeping past before they heard motion again, slower this time, the snap of branches underfoot and the rustling of leaves against shins and shoulders. Emerging from the trees, standing atop the ridge, was Paige, sword hanging limp at her side. Haloed around her face, her hair had dragged itself free of her braid. Her face was red and shining and her shoulders shrank and spread in rhythm with the deep breaths she dragged from the cool air.

As she laid eyes on Emily's captor, the wild fury on her face melted into confusion. "Steward?"

Spencer raised one eyebrow, tilting her head as she studied the newcomer. "McCullers?" She dragged her gaze away from Paige a moment, making brief, pointed eye contact with the men restraining Emily. They took the hint, freeing the girl's arm. Emily stepped back, massaging the places where they had gripped her.

Spencer stepped towards Paige as the other strode towards them, coming to rest a few feet away. She squared herself in front of the ranger. "Explain."

Paige glanced at Emily before her eyes slid back to the Steward's face. "She's a messenger. Met her in my hometown. I was bringing her to see you."

The Steward's flinty stare faltered and she whipped her head around to stare at Emily again. She narrowed her eyes as she turned back to Paige. "Are you sure?"

The subordinate ranger nodded. "'A' has visited her twice now."

"And you were there both times? What did she see?"

Paige nodded at the first question, then broke eye contact, focusing her eyes on a spot in the air just beyond the Steward's head. "Nothing, the second time. I covered her." She swallowed, the faintest tremble in her voice as she continued. "Everything, the first time. We were outside the Wood in broad daylight."

"McCullers…" The word tumbled from Hastings' scowling lips.

Paige's face colored. "I didn't recognize the signs in time." She hung her head, wincing. Spencer glared at her before she turned on her heel and strode back to where Emily stood.

"At least you thought far enough to get her into the Rosewood. It doesn't make up for your incompetence, though. I'm sure 'A' has made quick work of your precious home village."

Now Emily colored. "Paige isn't incompetent. She saved me in that village. 'A' would have me if it weren't for her."

Spencer cast the still-chagrined ranger a scathing look. "'A' wouldn't have known where you were if she had done her job properly."

Emily's brow furrowed. "But if she hadn't been there at all, I wouldn't be standing here. So yeah, maybe all of this could have been avoided, maybe I could be sitting happily at home right now. But I can't blame Paige for this." Her soft voice had risen, not quite to a shout, but it hit Spencer with force. "She didn't torch my village. She didn't kidnap my parents. And she did everything she could to stop that from happening."

The Steward turned her freezing stare to Emily once more. She searched the girl's face; then, to everyone's surprise, she cocked her eyebrow and let a half smile sneak into the line of her mouth. "You're more spirited than you look." After a few more moments studying Emily, she barked orders to her rangers and the whole team headed out. Hastings took the lead, marching ahead of everyone, and as Emily followed behind her, she caught the stern woman casting one last caustic look in Paige's direction.

The girl slowed her pace, waiting until Paige caught up to her. "Your Steward is certainly a character," she said, giving the ranger a smile. Paige neglected to return it; her sullen gaze was fixed on Hastings' back. "Paige," said Emily. Her voice was curt and Paige looked up at the warning tone. "Don't let her get to you."

Paige scowled. "You don't get it. She's always had it out for me."

"Yeah, she's… rough." Emily sighed. "It seems like she's that way with everyone, though."

The ranger hooked her thumbs in her belt, hunching her shoulders as she stomped along. "She wasn't even that bad with you. I think she took a real shine to you." A genuine smile tickled her lips. "I guess it's hard not to, though." She turned to Emily, the smile percolating up through her face into her eyes.

A flush pooled in Emily's cheeks and she looked away, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You act like I'm something special." She grinned then, looking at Paige askance. "You're pretty likable yourself, McCullers."

Paige guffawed. "You are absolutely out of your mind, Fields. I'm stubborn, I'm arrogant, I'm-"

"You're confident, you're brave…"

The ranger glanced up at the sky, her mouth open half in protest, half in a smile. "Are you trying to embarrass me?"

Emily laughed. "Maybe a little. You know, I think I see why you and Hastings don't get along."

"And why would that be?" Paige gave the other girl a lopsided grin, waiting for the tease, but it never came.

"McCullers!" The barking order pierced the air from the front of the march. Paige sighed, flashed Emily a resigned glance, and jogged to the head of the column. She fell in line with Spencer, matching the other's long strides.

"Steward."

"Stow the formality." Spencer's eyes were focused straight ahead. "Tell me about your little trip home."

Paige pursed her lips before she answered, her voice monotone. "I saw my father. He didn't want anything to do with me. Never forgave me for running away. I went to my mother's grave. I found Emily there."

"At your mother's grave?"

"No." She worked her jaw as she prepared to speak again. "The grave of a girl we knew. The reason I ran away. Turns out the bitch died a year ago." A cold smile crossed her lips. "Anyway, I talked with Emily and then she just collapsed. It was a textbook 'A' message, I just didn't put the pieces together." Spencer's face hardened but she kept her thoughts to herself as Paige continued. "When she came to, I helped her home. I asked her what she saw and she confirmed what I'd realized, that she was a messenger. I tried to convince her to run then and there, but she wouldn't have it." Paige shook her head. "So I went back home. I grabbed some of my old clothes. I took my things and I took Pru out into the Wood and left her a ways in, then I went back home and waited.

"They showed up a few days later. Set a building on fire, drove as many people as they could into the square. Started shouting that they wouldn't do any more damage if someone would give them a girl named Emily."

"How did they know her name?"

Paige didn't answer.

"McCullers." Hastings' prod was blunt. Paige ground her teeth.

"I shouted it when she went down."

Spencer let out a long, slow breath. Silence hung between them, palpable in the air. "Continue," she ordered in a whisper.

"Emily's father showed up. Someone in the crowd shouted that he had a daughter named Emily." She scoffed. "That someone being my dad." She hung her head, her face twisting as rage boiled behind her eyes. "I couldn't believe him. So I laid him out cold while they dragged Wayne into the square. I stepped in to protect him. We faced off, but it was three against one. They were toying with me, but what else could I do?" She swallowed.

"Wayne saw Emily in the crowd and tipped me off. I let them take him, then I dragged her out of there. They didn't see us escape. We got Pru and a few days' distance. 'A' sent her a message on the third night. Let her know she had her parents. She was pretty cut up about it."

"I'd imagine," said Spencer. The tone was curt but it broke at the end; a tiny bit of emotion creeping into her stoicism.

Paige sighed. "She's going to ask you to help her get them back."

Hastings cast a glance back over her shoulder at the subject of their conversation. The girl had been watching them; she met Spencer's eyes and startled, flicking her attention elsewhere. Spencer turned back ahead.

"I don't know if I can."

"I know."

Silence again. The wind tugged at Paige's hair, still unruly from her heart-pounding sprint through the Wood. When Emily's faint cry reached her ears, she'd bolted, her heart rising up into her throat, blood pounding in her skull. Her legs had burned but she'd pressed on, her mind filling with one horrific image after another. Some vicious creature had stumbled upon her. The brutes from the village had found her. 'A' herself had appeared. The taste of salt had bloomed on her tongue as her own sweat had trickled into her eyes and mouth and dripped from the end of her nose. Then it died as the arrow sped inches past her head, confronting her with the truth: she had failed to protect Emily.

Spencer spoke again and dragged Paige from her thoughts. "The most I can do is have her trained."

"You'll train her?"

The Steward snorted. "Is that even a serious question? No, of course not. My hands are full, McCullers."

Paige grimaced. "Really? You'll really let-"

"_Don't_ say it." There was acid in Hastings' voice, and Paige reeled. "I don't have a choice. It has to be her, or no one else. She has to be trained, and I'm not letting another messenger waltz away from me." She chuckled. "At least I won't have to worry about a pretty face luring her away this time."

Paige puzzled over the statement. "What does that-"

"Dismissed, McCullers." With that, the Steward strode away, leaving Paige behind.

The line marched on, reaching their destination by sunset. As red light streamed through the trees, casting spindly, blending shadows, the Steward called a halt. She pursed her lips and whistled, the shrill sound echoing through the Wood.

Silence followed the Steward's song. The rangers held their position, their muscles rigid, their faces unmoving, but Emily fidgeted, shifting from one foot to another. Then, as the anticipation built to a head within her, she heard a rustling above her head; looking up, she saw a woman crouched in the trees, a bow lying across her lap. The woman waved them onward, and they obliged.

The space they found themselves in could not be described as a clearing, but the clusters of trees around them were thinner than the part of the Wood they had left. In the gaps, the rangers had pitched tents; they were simple canvas, but real tents nonetheless, not the spartan accommodations that had sheltered Emily and Paige for so long. Almost every person they passed was a ranger, the same weathered look smeared across each of their faces.

Hastings' troop dispersed, their function served. She gestured to Emily to accompany her, and the girl obliged. Paige tagged along, hovering by Emily's side. If Hastings noticed, she gave no indication.

Striding through the camp, they were distracted by a cheerful chirping just beside them. Emily glanced about, looking for the source, but Spencer merely smiled and held out a hand. A small, round bird alighted on her finger and hopped about there, opening its tiny pointed beak to chirrup at its audience. Satisfied that it had made its entrance known, it made the short flight to the Steward's shoulder. It tugged on the loose hairs on the back of her neck that had pulled free of her severe bun.

"Ouch!" Spencer brushed the bird away, but the smile on her face was wide and true. It was contagious; a matching smile grew on Emily's face.

"He likes you!"

Spencer faked an exasperated grimace. "A little too much. Shoo, shoo!" The little creature chirped again, ruffled his own feathers, and flew away. "That was Kingston."

Emily watched the bird's shape recede until he was invisible in the fading light. "You rangers have a special bond with animals." Her mind darted to Pru, who had followed along behind them when they joined Spencer and her crew. The horse seemed to react to Paige's every word, even obeying commands that her master did not speak aloud.

Spencer shook her head. "We do, but… Kingston is a special case. You'll see. Come on."

They walked to the far side of the encampment, to a tent that dwarfed the others but rested quite a distance away from all of its neighbors. When Kingston had left, Spencer's face had been bright - there was still a restrained element there, a sense that any enjoyment she experienced would be met with skepticism and sarcasm, but there was no doubt that for a moment her sternness had been tempered. Now, though, the look she wore was dark; it traveled beyond seriousness to outright hostility. She paused just a moment outside the tent before flinging aside the flap and marching inside.

Despite being the largest tent in the camp, the interior was crowded, especially with three extra people stuffed inside. Paige retreated to the furthest corner, curling and bending to as to fit beneath the tent's slanting sides. Hastings sat cross-legged in the center of the space and Emily sat just behind and to her side.

In front of Spencer sat a woman, her long, straight hair draped across her shoulders. Full lips sat in a thin face. The woman's eyes were covered by a thick, black blindfold.

"Jenna." Hastings growled the woman's name, her raspy voice made even rougher as it passed through her grated teeth.

"Is that you, Spencer?" A smile formed on the full lips as the woman turned her head towards the sound.

"You know full well it's me."

Jenna's smile grew. "Who are your friends?"

Emily watched Spencer, who gave her a little nod. She turned to Jenna again, her eyes wide, her expression wary. "I'm Emily."

"So nice to meet you, Emily. And who's the other?"

From the corner, Paige replied. "It's just Paige." Jenna's smile faltered a bit but she recovered as she turned back to the steward.

Spencer leaned forward. "I need you to train Emily."

"Spencer." Jenna pushed her lips into a pout. "Don't you want to teach her yourself?"

Spencer's brows furrowed and her eyes flashed. "I'm not playing your games. Train her." She scrambled to her feet and walked out of the tent, though she paused at the exit. "McCullers!"

Paige, keeping her head ducked below the walls of the tent, crossed over to Emily. She reached out, taking Emily's offered hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

"You're leaving?" A tremor had crept into Emily's voice.

Paige gave her a smile. "You'll be fine." She looked over her shoulder at Jenna; the blind woman waited, her face still wearing the pout she'd donned for Spencer's benefit. Paige's eyes and Emily's met once more, then Paige pressed her lips together and tore herself away. Emily turned to watch her leave and stayed staring at the place where Paige had disappeared until Jenna demanded her attention.

"So, Emily." With all the ease of a rusty hinge, Emily turned to face the blindfolded woman. "Do you know anything about why you're here?"

"Because I'm a messenger?"

Jenna's pout morphed into a smile. "That's right." She reached ahead of her, taking both of Emily's hands in her own. Goosebumps rose along Emily's arms, but the shudder that ran through her body was cold, not the tingling warmth she felt whenever she and Paige touched. She jerked her hands away but Jenna held tight. "How much do you know about who we are?"

Emily parroted everything that Paige had told her, about 'A', about their supposed abilities. Jenna nodded along, the cold smile ever-present on her face.

"You mentioned the messengers that 'A' took for herself," she said, turning Emily's hands over in her own, running her fingers across the palms. "I'm one of them."

The breath caught in Emily's throat. She tried harder to free her hands, but Jenna's fingers dug like claws into her wrist. "You work for 'A'?"

"I did. I escaped."

Her breath returned somewhat, but the blood still pounded in her ears. "How?"

Jenna's smile turned upside down, a nasty sneer. "It doesn't matter how. What matters is that I did, and I took her teaching with me. Your friend was right about 'A' awakening her servants' abilities. Let me show you."

Her nails dug into Emily's skin and the girl shrieked just as darkness wrapped around them. She drew a breath, waiting for the usual stinging whine, but it never came. Instead, the darkness began to wobble and brighten, and soon, all around her, she beheld the world. It was distorted, like the reflection off of an eye, stretched in some places and squeezed in others. Beside her stood Jenna and in front of them stood Spencer, a scowl on her lips.

"Jenna!" Spencer stormed up to them, rage boiling in her eyes.

"Steward!" a dim voice called from above them. Emily looked up and saw a man's face peering down, dim in the last light of day. "Someone cover her!" cried another. She jumped, realizing that she could feel earth and leaves beneath her fingers, the slickness of a leaf pressed against her temple.

Spencer was still shouting, her face inches from Jenna's. "Stop this! Get out of my head!"

Darkness fell over them and Emily felt the scratch of canvas on her nose, on her skin. She could smell the mustiness of the covering, could hear the crunch of people standing around her body - Spencer's body. She raised her hands - they felt like they were still on the ground, but how could they be? - to her mouth. At once she felt the softness of her own skin and the grit of the earth. Gravity pulled on her, but it pulled in two directions, holding her where she stood and pressing her prostrate body - _Spencer's_ prostrate body, she shouted inwardly - to the ground. Her mind spun, trying to process the sensation of two bodies in one.

She fell to her knees, eyes wide, panic growing in her, spreading like lightning over her skin, through her bones. It all felt wrong, so wrong. She shuddered, an aborted retch shaking her. Tears streamed from her eyes.

Spencer's protestations mixed with the sounds of the forest; she felt the pressure of a hand on someone else's head, on her head?_ on SPENCER'S head!_

Spencer reached out, hooking her fingers in Jenna's clothes, dragging the blind girl so that their faces were inches apart. Despite the ferocity in that face, Jenna remained impassive. She spoke. "Time to go."

With that, the false world faded away, sucked away, pulled off like a cloth from a table.

Emily shivered, her eyes darting about. They were in the tent. They had never left the tent. Jenna still sat in front of her, that placid smile still smeared on her face.

"It takes some getting used to." Jenna was still holding her hands, and now she massaged them, rubbing her thumbs along Emily's skin, sliding over the red welts where her nails had gouged into the other girl's flesh. Emily tried a third time to pull them away and this time met with success. Her mind searched for a sarcastic response to Jenna's comment, but in her fugue, she could find none.

Instead, she sought answers. "What was that?"

Jenna's smile became a smirk. "That's what 'A' sees when she possesses you."

Emily rubbed her forehead, feeling the slick sheen of sweat there. "That was awful."

"Like I said," said Jenna, a bit of a sneer coiling on her lips, "you'll get used to it."

A deep breath cleared the last of the nausea from Emily's stomach. She fixed Jenna with a firm gaze.

"How did you do that? I thought it only worked one way."

"Before 'A' came into power, any messenger could contact any other at any time, without any training. It would have been a lot like what you just experienced. A bit cleaner, perhaps. Now, in order to be able to see into another's mind that way, you have to be dragged in the first time, like I just did to you. I learned through 'A' herself. The experience was far less pleasant.

"My skills have limitations. 'A' can find any messenger, anywhere, but I can only find the ones I've had direct contact with. You, for example."

"Or Spencer? She's a messenger?"

"She is. My first student." The scorn in her smile grew at the Steward's name. "You can see why this would be so useful?"

Emily nodded. "You could communicate with someone across any distance. Relay information. Show them what you're experiencing. Like being in two places at once."

"Now you see why 'A' wanted to find you so badly."

Emily rested her head in her hands. "How many of us are there?"

Jenna considered the question a moment. "When 'A' controlled me, I met only a dozen or so, but I know she had more. And here, Spencer and I were the only ones before you came along, but I know there are others who escaped or were found by the rangers before 'A' can get them. There are a lot, but when the Rosewood is as large as it is… the numbers start to seem very small."

There came a rustling behind them. Emily turned about to see that Spencer had stormed into the tent.

"Never, ever do that again." Her voice was low and calm on the surface, but beneath the initial huskiness there simmered unabashed ferocity, a subtle edge that cut Emily to the quick. Jenna, however, still seemed unperturbed. Spencer ground her teeth. "Finish up with her," she said, turning on her heel.

"Spencer?" Jenna called out to her before the Steward could get away. Spencer turned but did not speak. "If you see Toby, could you send him to me? I'd appreciate it." There was an edge in her voice, too, bared for all to hear. Emily saw the twitch in Spencer's face just before she whirled away and disappeared.

She raised an eyebrow before remembering that Jenna could not see it. "Toby?"

"Toby saved my life, years ago. He's helped me ever since this." She waved a hand at the blindfold. "I'd be lost without him."

Emily was unable to resist. "What happened?"

Jenna smiled. Without a word, she reached her hands up to the blindfold and untied it, letting it fall away. Emily gasped at the sight, for where Jenna's eyes had been, now rested only two ugly scars, snug within the empty sockets.

"Outside of this group, don't tell anyone what you are." Jenna's voice was soft and honest for the first time since Emily had entered the tent. "Unlike the world outside, the people of the Rosewood know what we are. They know who we tend to work for. They don't take kindly to a messenger in their midst, whether or not you're one of the witch's puppets."

Emily reached out a hand, held it, trembling, over Jenna's, but could not bring herself to take it. "I'm so sorry."

Jenna's face contorted now and she slapped Emily's hovering hand away. "I don't want your pity. Go. We're done today."

"Jenna-"

Jenna snapped. "I said, go!"

Emily scrambled to her feet and hurried from the tent; she did not look back.

* * *

_And there's Chapter Four. I hope it was worth the wait...  
_

_I'd like to say Chapter Five will be up next week, and I do intend for it to be, but I'll avoid making promises I can't keep. I can tell you that I have a complete draft, but it's more of a skeleton than anything. I intend to work on it this weekend so getting it done in a week shouldn't be a hardship. I will do my absolute best to have it by next Wednesday!_

_Anyway, as always, review and leave me with comments or criticisms. Thank you all for reading!_

_One last comment - (I've been saving my enthusiasm for this) - I'M SO GLAD SEASON FOUR HAS STARTED. The season premiere last night was fantastic and I just narrowly avoided dying and going to heaven during that Paily scene. Especially with Shay Mitchell in that shirt, and those shoulders. Those. Shoulders. I hope you all understand. I don't personally know anyone else who watches PLL (besides one gay man who just doesn't understand my preoccupation with Paige McCullers), so I needed to let that out here._


	5. Flight

_I'm on time this week! Awesome!_

_On to replying to reviews... **saii79**, I'm glad you like it! I was trying to think of a way to tie the magic of a fantasy realm to the way the characters interact in the show. The ability to communicate via distances, whether it's the Liars keeping in touch with one another or 'A' sending them harassing texts, is pretty critical. This is my way of aping that dynamic. Obviously it's not the same as a cellphone, but it allows me to keep the characters connected regardless of their location, even when certain upcoming events drive them apart..._

_Now, on to the chapter itself. As a reminder, I don't own PLL or any of its characters represented herein._

* * *

Chapter Five  
[Flight]

Emily ground her teeth together as sweat poured down her face. She sat cross-legged across from Jenna. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her body shook. Jenna's face was screwed up in concentration, a tic pulsing in her forehead.

Inside her head, Emily beheld the speck of light that signaled an approaching messenger. Instead of drawing closer, however, it oscillated around a point in the distance. Emily pushed against it, keeping it at bay. Jenna pushed back, willing herself forward. The student bowed her head, tension rippling through her shoulders. Her nostrils flared as she threw everything she had against the pressure. The light began to recede, little by little, until at last Jenna's body jerked and Emily fell forward, hands flat on the ground.

She pulled herself up, a smile on her face. "I did it! I blocked you!" Her eyes twinkled.

Jenna scowled. "Barely. If I were 'A', you wouldn't have stood a chance."

Emily's smile faded, her pride punctured. "I'm getting better."

"You're not learning fast enough. It's been weeks." The blind woman flexed her fingers, stretching the tense muscles. A long sigh breezed through her lips. "That's enough for now. Go."

Emily obeyed without a word, rising to her feet and leaving the tent in silence. She had learned early that fighting Jenna was a futile endeavor.

Wandering through the camp, she heard Spencer's voice through the low hum of conversation and activity. Her feet led her to the Steward, who stood addressing a group of rangers who had just returned from some mission or another. She picked up their conversation somewhere in the middle.

"…refused to meet her demands, and she responded with force."

Spencer had her arms crossed and her brows knitted together as she considered the ranger's words. Kingston sat on her shoulder, silent and still. "How much damage?"

"A few homes were ransacked. Some villagers were injured and one was killed." Spencer's face tightened more at the news, anger glinting in her eyes.

"Anything else to report?"

"No, Steward."

She dismissed the rangers and let her eyes fall closed, rubbing her forehead. Kingston hopped on her shoulder, fluttering his wings. Emily took the opportunity to approach, sidling up to the other woman. Spencer noticed her and a small smile appeared on her face. "You're done early today."

Emily shrugged. "I didn't do as well as Jenna hoped."

"She's too hard on you." Spencer looked over, trying to find Jenna's tent, as if she could make Jenna feel the weight of her disapproval with a distant stare. The tent was too far away to be seen, however, and she was forced to turn her attention back to Emily. The other girl was regarding Kingston with curiosity.

"How did you find him?"

Spencer looked at the bird from the corner of her eye, reaching up a finger. He jumped onto it and she brought it around to see him better.

"It was an accident. I'd just started learning from Jenna. I was out in the Wood, checking traps. I found him in one, reached down to touch him… and that was that."

"What do you mean?

Spencer cooed at the little bird. "It's a messenger thing. Jenna explained it eventually, though it was like pulling teeth to get her to tell me." She gave Emily a crooked half-smile as she rolled her eyes. "We can connect with animals."

"Like Paige and Pru? But Paige isn't a messenger."

"Not like that." The Steward shook her head. "It's similar. Pru was born in the Wood and something about this place enhances the bonds between animals like Pru and people like Paige. But what I have with Kingston goes beyond that. It's not quite mind-reading, but it's close." She smiled at Emily. "I'm sure it'll happen to you eventually."

Emily was silent; she had discovered yet another ability that seemed so far beyond what she had thought was possible just a few weeks before. With a faint whistle, Spencer sent Kingston on his way before addressing Emily again.

"Hey, I have a little free time. Do you want to practice with me?"

A smile spread on Emily's face. Ever since her first lesson with Jenna, Spencer had taken her aside and volunteered to help her practice the things she was learning. Though she insisted, loudly and often, that she was very busy, somehow she always found the time for Emily.

"We'll need someone to watch over us." Emily rose to the tips of her toes, peering around the camp, observing the choices. "Paige isn't here." She frowned, wrinkling her nose, before a gleam appeared in her eye.

"Who did you find? It better be someone trustworthy." Spencer crossed her arms.

"Don't worry. You go to our spot and I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Who is it, Em?"

The glint in Emily's eye spread to the sneaky smile on her face. "I said don't worry!" With a chuckle, she took off, leaving Spencer to groan in annoyance. Winding between pitched tents and grizzled rangers, she set her sights on her target: a tall man with blue eyes and a dimpled chin. He smiled as she approached, a warm smile that she had only ever seen on his face around one other person.

"Emily. How can I help you?"

She returned the smile. "Do you think you could watch out for me and Spencer while we practice?

Something passed behind his eyes; what it was, she wasn't sure, though his smile faltered. She pressed the issue. "Please, Toby? I know you're busy…"

He wasn't.

"…and normally I'd ask Paige but she's not back yet. Please?"

A heavy sigh escaped him. "Yeah, all right. Lead the way."

Their path led back through the camp and out past its border, until the land began to slope downward. On the side of the hill there was a little mossy patch, and they found Spencer there, already sprawled on her back. Emily plunked down beside her friend and Toby paused at the top of the hill, settling down with his back pressed against a tree. Spencer refused to look at them, her eyes closed and her face impassive. Eyes flicking from Spencer to Toby, Emily gave him one last smile before leaning back and wriggling into a comfortable position beside her friend.

"Ready?" Spencer reached out her hand. Emily took it, giving it a squeeze. "Ready."

Spencer opened her eyes and the world around Emily began to fade. The keening sound dug into her, but her lessons with Jenna were paying off; with effort, she blunted it, stripping it of its edge. It died out, leaving her surrounded by silence and darkness. Before long, the pinprick of light that was Spencer appeared in the distance, growing and growing until her friend stood, fully-formed, in front of her.

"How was that?" asked the Steward.

"Not bad, this time. It's definitely getting better."

"Excellent." Spencer crossed her arms. "What do you see?"

"Just darkness."

"Okay. Let's try to make the connection the other way. Close your eyes, Em."

Emily obliged, taking a deep breath. She felt Spencer's hands pressing on her shoulders.

"I want you to find my trail in your mind. Do you have it? Good. Follow it back to me. Grab it like a rope - that's it - hand over hand."

In her mind's eye, Emily obliged. The trail quivered in her mind, less a visible link and more of a sensation. Though Spencer supplied her with visual metaphors for the process, to Emily it seemed as though she was merely sinking into Spencer, matching her own self to the spirit of the girl beside her until she could slip right up against her, a shadow at high noon clinging beneath her heels.

The closer she got, the more in tune they became, the lighter the world around them grew until at last the familiar warped sky crystallized above them. Emily tipped her head back, scanning the world above her - the world through Spencer's eyes.

"I'm in."

Spencer smiled, lifting her hands from Emily's shoulders. She lay down on her back, mimicking her position in the real world. Emily followed suit. It made the dissonance more bearable.

They gazed at the fisheye sky, letting the moments drift past, until Emily broke the calm.

"Did 'A' attack that village?"

Spencer drew her lips tight. "Emily…" Her husky voice was tight as she spoke.

"Every day it seems like there's another report, Spencer. A village attacked, someone abducted. We have to stop her."

Spencer stared at the sky. "I'm working on it, Emily."

"She has my parents."

"She has a lot of people's parents, Em. She has people's sisters, brothers, kids. But I only have so many rangers. She has soldiers and trained messengers and we're not ready to face that. Not yet." She turned her head towards Emily, meeting the other girl's stare. "I consider you a friend, you know. And I always protect my friends." She smiled and Emily returned it. "You just have to give me time."

Emily sighed. "Okay, okay. You win." She looked back at Spencer, but the other woman had turned away again. "Spence?"

"Why did you have to bring _him_ over?"

"Who, Toby? Because I trust him." Though she managed to force some innocence into her voice, there was a layer of guile just beneath the surface. Spencer heard it, and scoffed.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying. It's true. I do trust him." Emily pursed her lips. "He likes spending time with you."

"He's not spending time with me, Em. As far as he's concerned, I'm completely unconscious right now."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's all been a secret plot to get you two to fall madly in love."

Spencer laughed. "Why do I think that's the closest you've come to telling the truth?"

Stretching her arms above her head, Emily's face softened. "I guess I just don't see the harm in being honest with him. You _do_ like him; don't try to tell me otherwise."

She cut over Spencer, who had begun to protest. Stymied, the Steward let out her prepared argument as a huff. "The harm in being honest is that he might feel the same way."

"He does. I'm sure he does."

"And where would that get us? All it would do is piss Jenna off."

Emily frowned. "She doesn't love him. Whatever they have, it isn't love. It's not even friendly."

"Does it matter? I have to keep her happy. She's dangerous, Em. I can't let her regret her decision to ally with us."

"But-"

As she began to argue, a shadowy shape drifted into view above her. It was Toby, leaning over Spencer's prone body. His voice echoed around them, thick and slow, as if through a wall or from a great distance.

"Hey Emily. Paige is back. I thought you'd like to know."

She pulled herself upright, resting on her elbows. Opening her mouth to speak, she was cut off by Spencer.

"I heard him, Em." The Steward sat up, stretching. "I should probably get back to work, anyway. Ready?"

Emily nodded, climbing to her feet. She balled her fists, steadying her muscles. Spencer closed her eyes and bowed her head, and then the world faded to black and Spencer drifted away, retreating into a speck on the horizon.

Toby helped them to their feet as they recovered, though the immediate effects were not nearly as bad as they had been the first time Emily had been possessed by 'A'. Spencer was hardly affected, though Toby took his time in assisting her, gripping her hands a few more moments than was necessary. Spencer did not protest.

As soon as she was steady, Emily headed back towards the camp, peeking over the heads of the rangers. Before long, she caught sight of Paige, still mounted on Pru's back. An involuntary smile crept onto her face and a bounce crept into her step as she made her way towards the other girl.

Swinging down from Pru's back, Paige found herself greeted almost immediately by Emily.

"You're back," said Emily with a smile. The ranger returned it. "Didn't think I'd run away, did you, Fields?" She patted Pru then turned her complete attention to Emily. "Did you ask the Steward again?" She kept her voice low; her eyes scanned the other people around them.

Emily replied as they began walking toward one of the small campfires dotted around the area. "Another 'no'. I don't think she's going to make a move any time soon."

They flopped down beside the campfire. Another ranger sat, preparing a meal in a pot above the flames. The three of them engaged in some mindless chatter before the two women could return to their clandestine discussion.

"Spencer would have the resources to take on 'A' if she would just use them." Paige prodded the flames. "If she called all of the rangers together and stirred up the villagers, I'm sure they'd give 'A' a good fight."

"I don't think she wants to lose anyone if she doesn't have to." Emily watched the sparks shooting up from the crackling logs. "She wants to protect everyone."

Paige frowned. "There won't be anyone left to protect if she doesn't act soon. The longer 'A' is in power, the more messengers she'll find, and the stronger she'll be."

Emily bowed her head. "They attacked another village today. Someone died."

The frustration in Paige's face flashed into anger, burning in her eyes, before mellowing into resignation. "We're just going to have to do it ourselves. It'll be better with a small team, anyway." She rubbed her chin. "I think I know how we'll get in. I heard rumors of a man, some wanderer named Rivers. Supposedly, he used to be one of the witch's personal guards."

"But he's not anymore?" Emily had to wait for her answer, as the other ranger at the fire had handed them each a bowl of dinner. Paige tucked into the food but Emily crinkled her nose a bit. She still wasn't used to the odd flavors and smells of her new world.

Swallowing her meal, Paige replied. "He quit." She shoveled another spoonful of stew into her mouth.

"'A' lets people quit?"

"No." Paige gave her companion a wan smile. "He ran. He's been hiding in the Wood ever since."

"So how long do we wait?" Emily lifted her own spoon, taking a dainty mouthful as she tried not to let her distaste show.

The other woman set down her emptied bowl. "Did Spencer show _any_ signs of budging?" Emily shook her head. Paige nodded her head, once. "Then we leave soon. It'll take me a few days to get things together, get Pru packed without anyone noticing… the new moon is in four days. How about then?"

"That's fine." Feeling the pangs of hunger in her stomach, Emily finally took a hearty mouthful of the stew. "How long will it take to find Rivers?" she asked through her food, manners forgotten.

"It'll be a few days journey. We're in the hills right now…"

Heads bent together, they plotted their journey, Paige explaining the route and the dangers to Emily, who nodded along. As they finished their meal, they lapsed into friendly conversation, smiling and laughing. They hadn't noticed Jenna on Toby's arm behind them, a tiny smirk playing about her lips.

* * *

Emily rose on the morning of their planned departure to the sound of angry voices and the clash of metal. She bolted upright, seizing her dagger and drawing on the armor Spencer had insisted she take. It felt heavy and awkward on her shoulders but the shouts outside grew louder and with each passing moment her dread grew, pushing the armor from her thoughts. She stumbled out of her tent, spinning about as she tried to locate the source of the conflict.

The camp was a mess; blankets had been strewn about, tents had been knocked over. Rangers were darting through the trees, running toward the source of the noise. She couldn't see Paige or Pru anywhere so she followed along.

"Paige!" she shouted as she arrived. She could see people running about, weapons drawn; some wore the subdued browns and tans of the rangers while others dressed in black. Already a few bodies lay strewn across the ground. She tried to avert her eyes from the sticky blood pooling in the needles and leaves beneath them. She called Paige's name again but again heard no response.

Keeping her distance from the clusters of conflict, she ran through the trees. She heard sounds behind her, the heavy thud of a man's steps, and the air in her lungs grew stale. She thought she heard a woman yell her name behind her. The shuffling footsteps grew closer as the Wood pressed in around her; the whole world seemed to constrict.

As her pursuer drew right up behind her, reaching out a thick hand, she whirled, bringing the dagger around in a wide arc. By some miracle, it found her assailant's face, cutting a gash from cheek to ear, scraping across his teeth. He fell backward, hands clutched to the wound, as she screamed.

Rooted to the spot, she stared wide-eyed at him, the world slowing to a halt around her. Massive fingers reached out and seized her ankle, breaking through her fugue. The tug that followed toppled her and she fell onto her back. Face dripping blood, the thug crawled over her, weapon raised. Without a thought she drove her own blade upward into his neck, sliding it up into his throat. He choked, coughing blood over her, and she cried out, tears stinging in her eyes. Trembling, she yanked her knife free and he collapsed onto her, pinning her arm out to the side, useless.

"Em!" The voice rang in her ears, familiar and yet completely foreign. Her eyes found each bristled hair on the balding scalp of the dead brute, his face pressed into her collarbone. "Em!" That voice, again.

She shrieked as the body on top of her moved, rolling off of her with a grunt, though the grunt was higher and not the deep bass of a grown man.

"Gods, Emily, are you okay?" Someone seized her, dragging her to her feet. Panicking, she lashed out with her arms, forgetting that she still held her dagger. "Hey! Em, watch it! It's me! It's Paige!"

Paige caught her arm, holding it firm as she reached out and shook the other girl by her collar. The action brought Emily back into the present, her eyes widening with alarm as she looked from the bloody knife to Paige and back again.

"Paige! I'm so sorry! I could have hurt you-"

"It doesn't matter! We have to go!" Linking her fingers with Emily's, Paige pulled her along, sprinting off towards the camp. Their legs burned as they ran, ducking between trees and leaping over bodies as they crashed along.

"We're almost there." Paige's breath was labored as sweat glistened on her skin. They were back in the camp, now, tearing around the toppled tents.

With a start, Paige stopped, driving her heels into the earth. Emily stumbled. Her eyes found the source of Paige's hesitancy: Jenna and Spencer had stepped out ahead of them.

Spencer stood a few feet in front of Jenna, her face grim and oddly emotionless. Jenna wore a wide smile though her body was completely still and straight like a statue.

"You aren't… going… anywhere." Spencer's words were stiff, spoken with effort.

"Spencer, we have to go!" Emily looked between the two women. "Let us go!"

"I don't… think so… Emily." Spencer raised her sword arm, dropping into a crouch. Paige threw an arm in front of Emily, bringing her own weapon to bear.

"Hastings!" she shouted. "What's wrong with you?"

Spencer lunged; Paige beat the attack away and shuffled backward. Spencer pressed the attack, swinging her blade down in a wide arc. Metal sang out as their blades crashed together, Paige pushing away and stepping alongside her opponent. Spencer whirled about, chopping through the air for Paige's midsection. The ranger drove her sword down over Spencer's, knocking it aside.

As Spencer came closer and closer to splitting Paige's head from her shoulders, Emily kept her distance, gripping her pathetic little knife. Her eyes darted between the combatants, and then to Jenna, still standing rigid behind them. Had she moved at all?

Keeping her eyes on Jenna, she began to move around the battle playing out in front of her. Just as she drew close enough to strike, Spencer's foot collided with her ribs, knocking her into a tent. The flimsy structure buckled around her, tangling her in rope and canvas.

Paige's voice rang out and metal screeched as the battle resumed. Emily struggled out from under the tent, clutching her side. Every breath tore through her as the bruise protested the motion of her lungs. Still on her knees, she could just see the fight as a tangle of legs, feet shuffling and stumbling as they traded blows.

Dragging herself upright, she called out to Paige.

"Get Jenna! Paige, get Jenna!"

Without questioning the command, Paige shifted, throwing Spencer aside. She raised her blade and prepared to strike but Spencer's fingers wrapped around her braid, yanking hard. Paige toppled over, the back of her skull striking hard against the ground. The Steward, face immobile, straddled the ranger's prone form. As her blade glinted in the dappled morning light, raised for the killing blow, Emily charged, lowering her shoulder. She flung herself at Spencer, wrapping herself around the other's lean form and driving her down.

Spencer fought back, pushing against her attacker. Knife forgotten, Emily pressed her palms into Spencer's cheek, fingers digging dangerously close to the other girl's eyes. Spencer's free hand clawed along the earth, finding her sword; she hurled it upward, the pommel colliding with the side of Emily's skull. Lights exploded behind Emily's eyes and she tumbled over.

Ragged breaths ripping through her throat, Spencer raised her blade one last time.

Then she collapsed, her body crumpling beneath her. Emily rose to her feet, her eyes seeking Jenna. She gasped to see Jenna's body hanging limp against Toby, his forearm wrapped about her throat.

He dropped the body and crossed to Spencer, picking her up like a child.

Emily took a step toward him. "Toby-"

"You need to go. Go! I'll take care of her." He turned his back, disappearing into the trees. Emily ran to Paige's side, helping her to her feet. As she fussed, Paige waived her off. "He's right, Em, we have to go." Picking up Emily's knife, she took the other woman's hand and gave it a squeeze.

They took off at a run towards Paige's original destination. Finding Pru, they both swung up onto the horse's back. Pru galloped off, leaving the camp behind them. Arms wrapped about Paige's waist, Emily spared one last look behind. There was nothing to see; the camp had disappeared behind the trees and the sounds of fighting had dimmed, replaced by the drumming of blood in her veins, the pounding of hooves against the earth, and the heaving of their lungs in their chests.

She turned forward, pressing her face into Paige's back. She wondered by what miracle they still lived. Her body felt like it was on fire, heady energy etched into every nerve of each extremity. Yet beneath the tingling euphoria lurked a darkness just beginning to eat away at her mind, pressing in against her. She wrapped her arms tighter around the girl in front of her, Paige's leather armor digging into her nose and forehead. Inhaling, she flooded her nose with the smell of leather and sweat, of blood and earth. It was just the two of them again. As Pru rocked along beneath them, careening through the Wood, Emily wordlessly willed Paige to understand that, for better or worse, she wouldn't change that for the world.

* * *

_And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it! I had a fun time writing the fight scene. The first time I wrote this chapter, the fight came out stiff and boring. So hopefully you found this anything but!_

_Chapter Six is in the works and I intend to have it up next week.  
_

_Please leave a review or send me a PM if you have any questions, comments, or criticism! Any commentary is appreciated._


	6. The Cave

_Chapter Six is here! I almost didn't finish this one in time. But I powered through and got it done. And look! I'm uploading it early because it seems like a good thing to take care of before I go to bed._

_**redgirl25** - I was glad that Emily got to show off her toughness, too. Paige can't have all the fun! Emily is untrained, so there's only so much she can do, but I try to involve her as much in the combat as I do in the emotional and intellectual drama._

_**saii79** - Jenna does have her reasons, though you'll learn them about the same time that our heroines do. Jenna's a woman of mystery and I don't think I would be doing her justice if I spilled all her secrets just yet._

_Anyway, read and (hopefully) enjoy! As always, I don't own PLL or any of its characters represented herein._

* * *

Chapter Six  
[The Cave]

They rode for miles without stopping, Pru's hooves thundering beneath them, their muscles tight and their minds alert. The day grew brighter and warmer, sunlight streaming through the canopy above, but the morning chill seemed to follow them no matter how far they traveled.

As Pru began to tire, they dismounted and walked at a slow pace. Words stuck in their throats, memories of death and fear locked behind their glassy eyes. The din of creatures and wind and leaves hammered in their ears. With the rising temperature, they rubbed at their exposed skin, wiping away the grime of humidity but missing the layer of guilt, particles of remembered horror clinging to their faces and hair and clothes.

Happening upon a stream, they stopped to wash and drink. Blood stuck between Emily's fingers, rust-red and dry. It speckled her face and clothes. She scrubbed at it, though she could not remove it wholly from the fabric. Trembling, fumbling, she ground her fingers into the stain, rubbing the skin on her fingers raw and pink.

Another hand clamped over hers, stilling her.

"Emily." The voice was low and firm. She ignored it, pulling her hands away. Paige insisted, her hands finding Emily's again, prying them away from the fabric. "Em, you have to stop."

Emily's eyes stayed fixed on the pink spot. "I killed a guy."

Paige squeezed the other girl's hands. "He would have killed you."

"But he's… he's dead because of me. He won't breathe again because of _me_."

The ranger rested her hands on Emily's shoulders. "Look at me." Emily lifted her eyes, meeting Paige's. "You can't think that way. Maybe he is dead because of you. But you're alive because of you, right? You saved a life today."

"My own life doesn't count."

"Don't say that! It does count. There are too many people who care about you. Your parents, Spencer…" Paige's eyes flitted away. "Me. You have to keep going for us."

Emily reached up a hand, pressing it over the one that laid on her shoulder. Her other hand traveled up, finding a strand of hair that had fallen loose over Paige's forehead. Emily brushed it away, her fingers trailing against the other girl's skin. Paige shuddered, letting her eyelids flutter closed, as her breaths grew short and shallow. The hand on Emily's shoulder crept inward, just brushing her neck, following it up to the curve of her jaw. Now Emily's skin tingled, Paige's fingers leaving a trail of shivers in their wake.

Paige lifted her hand from Emily's shoulder, taking the other girl's hand with it, pulling it towards her. Her fingers encircled Emily's wrist, her grip gentle. She leaned in, drawing the hand to her lips, laying a hesitant kiss upon the palm. Emily's eyes followed her, flowing down Paige's forehead, across the slight dip in Paige's brows, catching the way the golden light danced on the other girl's eyelashes that hid the wide brown eyes beneath. She traced the shape of the other girl's fingers resting against the back of her hand. Her own fingers stretched, spreading her expectant palm, exposing it to the soft brush of lips on skin.

Then she saw the blood caked in her own fingernails, brown residue hiding in the creases, dark and angry, and her lungs seized up inside her.

With a flurry of motion, she leapt up and away, rinsing her hands in the cool stream once more. Paige, resting on her knees, lifted her head to the sparkling patches of sun and sighed. She wiped the lingering taste of Emily's skin from her mouth and prepared to resume their trek.

They traveled for several days, falling into a daily routine of rising and resting with the sun. Their conversations were pleasant, but superficial; as often and as deep as she tried to probe, Paige could never elicit more than a cursory response. By the time they reached their destination, a little village nestled beneath the arcing boughs of the wood, their interaction had completely ceased.

Arriving in the village at midday, they made their way to the village elder's abode. He was happy to greet them, especially given Paige's status as a ranger. They were still leagues away from 'A'-controlled territory, where harboring a ranger could bring the witch's wrath down upon the entire village. Here, though, rangers were respected.

After some small talk, Paige began to press him about Rivers, or more specifically, about the rumors she'd heard originating from the village.

"You're saying you don't know anything about Rivers." Paige watched the elder out of the corner of her eye as she swirled the drink he'd provided. They sat across from each other in his front room. Emily sipped her own drink, a local tea, as she observed the conversation, having nothing to add.

Stroking his gray whiskers, the elder shook his head. "Can't say I do. We're a pretty insular little village here, ma'am. Can't fathom why you'd think that rumor would be coming from here."

Paige shrugged. "One hears things, in the Wood. Sometimes they're true, sometimes they're not. I did hope this one would be one of the former, though." She smiled, finishing her drink. "In any case, thanks for your time and hospitality. It's much appreciated." She rose from her seat and Emily followed suit. Spindly legs shaking, the elder joined them and walked them to the door. As the two women filed out of the building into the warm afternoon air, he called after them.

"Ranger! Yes, just a moment, before you go. Sometimes there's a boy who comes through here… a peddler. He likes to tell stories, quite wild ones, too. You might try talking to him about this Rivers fellow."

"Is he here now?"

"I don't think so. But it's been a while since we've seen him, so I imagine he'll be coming through here, soon."

Paige gazed at him, the gears in her head turning. "How soon is 'soon'?"

The elder drummed his bony fingers on the head of his cane as he pondered. "I'd say within a fortnight. I can arrange for you to stay with one of the families in the village if you want to wait here."

Raising her eyebrow, Paige turned to Emily. "I don't think we have a choice. This was my only lead."

Emily pursed her lips as she studied her companion. Her eyes darted from Paige to the elder and back again. Noticing the motion, Paige gave the old man a warm smile. "Can I have a moment to talk to my friend?"

He returned the smile. "Oh, of course. I'll be right inside."

When he had gone, Paige took a step closer to Emily, reaching out a hand. It hovered beside Emily's arm, but she could not bring herself to make the contact. Letting it drop like a hot coal, she spoke in a low whisper. "What's the matter, Em?"

"What if I have an… an episode? Jenna said people don't take well to messengers. That's how she… you know." She gestured towards her eyes.

Paige scoffed. "Jenna was working for 'A'. Plus, she's a bitch, so I wouldn't blame whoever did that to her."

Her words, spoken in jest, had the opposite of their intended effect, drawing a scowl across Emily's face. "It's not funny, Paige. I'm really scared, here. You need to take this seriously."

"Hey, Em, I'm sorry." Paige reached out again, trying to envelop Emily in a hug, but the other girl pulled away, still fuming. "I get it. It wasn't funny, it was stupid."

"It was." Emily crossed her arms, but her expression softened as she saw the apologetic look on Paige's face.

"If it makes you feel any better, you know that even if you do have an episode, I won't let anything happen to you." Paige's expression had grown serious. "I'll protect you, no matter what."

Letting loose a sigh, Emily fought back the smile that threatened to betray her. "I know. Okay, let's stay here. If I have to camp in the Wood another night, I think I'll go crazy." She released the repressed smile, her heart skipping a beat when it spread to Paige's face.

Paige worked out the details with the elder and he showed them to another house in the village, introducing them to the woman who lived there.

"So nice to meet you. I'm Ella." She shook their hands, beaming at them. They returned the smile, following her upstairs into the room they'd be using. "I hope you don't mind sharing," said Ella behind them as they gazed at the single bed. "This used to be my daughter's room. It'll be nice to have some young faces here again."

Emily caught the brief look of melancholy that flashed across the woman's face before it was replaced by a smile again. She returned the smile. "Thank you so much. It's great."

Pleased, Ella left them and Paige flopped down on the bed.

"Oh, man." She let out a deep sigh as she sank into the mattress. "I don't remember the last time I slept on a real bed."

Emily giggled, sitting down next to Paige and leaning back. She, too, sighed as she felt each of her stiff and tired joints relax. "We probably shouldn't get used to it." She closed her eyes. "Once we find Lucas it'll be back to sleeping on the ground again."

"Right." Paige grimaced. "We don't want to spoil ourselves." She, too, closed her eyes, squirming and letting the soft sheets swallow her. "I'll get up in a moment."

"Yeah, me too." A drowsy haze began to press in at the edges of Emily's consciousness. "Just a moment…"

Before long, they had both drifted off to sleep, legs dangling off the edge of the bed as their snores filled the room.

The sky was painted the purple-blue of twilight when Paige was jerked awake. Head heavy, mind groggy, she sat up, taking stock of her surroundings. "Wow, night already?" Her mumbled voice seemed loud in the quiet of the evening. She glanced at the girl beside her, still prone on the bed. "Em. Hey, Em." She reached out, shaking the girl's shoulder.

A moment later, adrenaline coursed through her like fire as she jumped from the bed and flung the blanket over Emily's face. She darted to the door, slamming it shut, leaning back against it with her hand on the doorknob as sweat trickled down her face.

Her heart threw itself against her lungs as she watched her companion and it leapt into her throat when she heard a knock at the door.

"Girls? I've brought you some nightclothes. Can I come in?"

"Don't." Paige's voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. "Don't come in." She managed more volume this time, too much, and she ended up shouting. She glanced at Emily, aware that 'A' could hear everything happening now.

"Is everything okay?" The doorknob wiggled under her hand as Ella tried to come in. "What…? Girls, what is going on?"

Closing her eyes and grinding her teeth, Paige turned about and opened the door a crack. "Everything's all right. Nothing to worry about. We were just…" Paige cursed. She hadn't taken the time to come up with a suitable excuse. "Uh, Emily fell asleep and I don't want to wake her." Okay, that could be legitimate.

Ella pursed her lips, studying Paige's face, and Paige was sure they'd been found out. The hand that was obscured behind the door began to clench and unclench itself as her nerves ran wild. She almost lost the ability to stand when Ella's questioning stare melted into a small smile.

"I understand. You girls looked so tired. You still do, dear, so you join her and I'll have breakfast ready for you in the morning. Can I give you these?" She held up the small stack of nightclothes.

"Yeah. Yeah, thanks." Positioning her body in the open doorway, Paige took the clothes between her palms. Before she realized what she was doing, she'd raised the crisp white fabric to her nose and inhaled. The tension in her muscles faded instantly, assuaged by the fresh scent of laundry and the tones of nostalgia carried by that scent. She gave Ella a smile before shutting the door and leaning against it again. Her legs finally gave way and she slid to the floor, finally coming to rest with her knees bent in front of her. Clutching the sweet-smelling clothes to her chest, she waited for Emily to wake.

Emily, meanwhile, was engaged in a battle of wills. Pain beat a sinister rhythm in her temple as she stared down the still-hazy form of 'A'. The witch forced herself forward, inching closer and closer to fully integrating herself with the unconscious girl's mind. Emily fought as hard as she could but her resolve was slipping, eaten away by fatigue and the monstrous shape of the woman in front of her.

A yelp burst forth from her throat as 'A' broke through, though it turned into a tiny giggle as the other woman stumbled just a bit. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself as much as possible before 'A' began to apply her psychological pressure.

"You've been learning, I see."

"Your minion taught me well." Emily gave the veiled woman a cold smile.

"Yes, well, she had appearances to maintain, didn't she? Spies aren't useful if they're not believable. She served her purpose. You, now, what are you thinking, running away from me again?" The venom in her voice was apparent. "Don't you care about your darling mommy and daddy?"

Emily grimaced, but did not respond.

"Ah, Emily. You realize it's no use, don't you? Now that your dear Steward is dead and her rangers scattered, you have no hope of escaping me forever. There's no one left to protect you."

Emily flinched. Spencer, dead? There was no way.

"That's right. Isn't that great news? I've been after that woman for years." The witch shook her head. "Now, let's get down to the purpose of my visit." She reached her glove hand into the pocket of her skirt. "I had something to share with you. I wondered if perhaps you didn't believe me the last time we spoke." When she drew forth her hand, she was cupping an object. She tilted her head as if observing it, keeping it hidden from Emily's view. "Can we both agree once and for all that your parents really have decided to drop in for a visit?"

Holding forth her palm, she waited for Emily's reaction. Emily, for her part, bit back another yelp as she saw what 'A' held: her parents' wedding rings. The witch took a step towards her. "Take them." Turning her hand over, she giggled as the rings slipped and began to tumble, spinning in the air. Now Emily did yelp, dropping to her knees and reaching out her hands to catch them. They felt tangible as she cocooned them in her curled fingers. "Your parents still have the fingers that wore those rings, Emily. Next time they may not be so lucky."

Leaving the girl kneeling in the darkness, she turned and flounced away. Emily stared at the rings in her hands, wondering if they would stay with her when the vision began to fade.

Her question was answered as they began to disappear before her very eyes, becoming less and less corporeal with each passing second. A flash of indignant anger blossomed in her fate and as the world around her began to fade just like her parents' rings, she reached into it, sweeping away the fog with one hand while she seized 'A' with the other, preventing her from severing the connection. Her vision filled with the same scene as always but it was clearer this time. A blond woman stood in front of her, blue eyes peering into her. The woman's lips moved but she heard no sound. As the moments passed she saw the woman reach out to touch her, her face a mix of confusion and restrained hope.

Just as she was getting her bearings and beginning to look around the room, Emily felt her body jerk as 'A' cast her out. Coming to, she stared at the ceiling and caught her breath. For a moment she forgot where she was; when she remembered, she rolled on her side and found that Paige was no longer on the bed beside her.

"Paige?" Emily bolted upright, letting out a heavy sigh when she saw Paige leaning with her back against the door. "Is everything okay?"

"I think so. Ella… Ella almost caught us. But it turned out okay." She smiled and held up the bundle in front of her. "Pajamas?"

They got ready for bed, undressing and pulling on the nightclothes with their backs turned to each other. Emily took the nightgown and Paige found herself with an over-sized set of long underwear. As they turned back to each other, both burst out giggling at the sight, for it hung off of her body at strange angles, giving her a sack-like appearance. Their giggles soon gave way to yawns and they slid into the bed.

Paige drew up the covers and all idle conversation ceased. Invisible in the dark, each girl flushed, for the bed was small and every little motion brought with it some brushing of feet or hands against legs or arms or chest. Though each touch quivered its way through them, they feigned ignorance, refusing to call it out or acknowledge that it had happened. By the end of the night they had settled on opposite sides of the bed, curled on their sides facing apart, each listening to the soft cadence of the other's breath, feeling the tug of the covers as the other's chest rose and fell. Before long, the breathy rhythm had lulled them to sleep.

When she woke in the morning, eyes fluttering open, the first thing that Emily saw was the top of Paige's head. They had rolled over in the night, Paige's head sliding from her pillow to nestle in the open space between Emily's chin and chest. As Emily stretched, their knees knocked together and she winced, glancing at Paige's relaxed face for any sign that she'd woken her. But Paige's muscles remained as loose as ever, her lips hanging open and her hair pressed to her cheek. Emily smiled, reaching out to tug the wild strands away, brushing them behind the other girl's ear. Paige stirred and with a sudden snore, rolled onto her back, smacking her lips. Emily managed to restrain a giggle, then ran her fingers through her own hair, frowning as they tugged against little tangles.

Scooting to the edge of the bed, she padded across the room to the dresser that sat there. Opening the top drawer, she found a hairbrush; she remembered that this had been Ella's daughter's room. Her eyes studied the room as she brushed the snarls from her hair. It was small and simple at first glance but she found little hints of its original occupant's personality. The furniture bore little patches of hand-painted pictures and the curtains and bedsheets had been embroidered with delicate needlework. There was a unified aesthetic to the place, the sense that it had been designed rather than thrown together, and she wondered what had happened to the girl who had lived there.

As she contemplated, she heard a stirring from the bed and smiled as Paige raised herself to her elbows.

"Morning." Paige returned the smile as she rubbed at her eyes still heavy with sleep. "Sleep okay?"

"I did." Emily laid down the brush. "I'm surprised. I don't usually sleep well after an 'A' visit."

Paige swung her legs over the edge of the bed, swinging her feet and letting her toes brush along the floorboards. In her baggy underclothes, kicking her feet, she looked like a large child and Emily couldn't help but smile at her. Paige blanched as she realized what she was doing and she crossed her arms and her ankles. The action drew a laugh across Emily's lips. "Oh, don't stop. You were cute."

Paige's cheeks flushed and she let her head fall, though she relaxed and let her hands fall to her side again. Looking up at Emily from under her eyebrows, she matched her smile. "Past tense?" She lifted her head and grinned, arching an eyebrow.

Now Emily flushed, but she recovered, fixing Paige with a knowing gaze of her own. "Definitely, especially now that you're being fresh."

Paige opened her mouth to speak again, but a knock at the door startled them. It was Ella, asking if she could come in. Paige glanced at Emily, who nodded and called out to invite Ella inside. The woman obliged, opening the door and just peeking through. "I just wanted to let you know that I have tea and breakfast downstairs when you're ready. Feel free to come down in your nightclothes; we don't stand on ceremony, here."

The two thanked her as she retreated, their smiles falling. Ella had said "we", but they had neither seen nor heard another soul in the house since they'd been there. Emily saw from the look on Paige's face that they were wondering the same thing: what had happened to the rest of the woman's family?

Breakfast was pleasant enough, though Emily was eager to head back upstairs, for she realized she hadn't shared the witch's most recent message with Paige. After returning to their room, while they changed with their backs to each other, she recounted the tale. She heard Paige's sharp intake of breath at the mention of the trick with the wedding rings, though she was quiet at the mention of the Steward's supposed death.

"I think she's lying," said the ranger, turning around as she braided her long hair.

Emily nodded. "I think so, too. We saw Toby carry her away. But why lie?"

"To mess with you." She shrugged. "Do you think you could message Spencer and find out?"

Considering a moment, Emily nodded. "I think so. I'd like to try right away but I don't think it's a good idea to try while we're here."

"Maybe we can take a walk outside the town, find a secluded spot and you can try there. If Lucas isn't in town, that is."

Agreeing on that course of action, the two of them bid farewell to Ella and headed into the town. They greeted the villagers, asking about Lucas and Rivers, but as the elder had indicated, no one knew anything about the latter and the former hadn't been seen in a while. Satisfied that their quarry would not show that day, the two wandered out into the Wood, enjoying their freedom to just meander. Though the thought of her parents in the witch's clutches scratched in the back of her mind, Emily knew that there was nothing she could do about it, at least not until they found Rivers. Following several strides behind Paige, she felt truly relaxed for the first time in ages.

Paige glanced over her shoulder, smiling. "The Wood's not so bad when we're not hiking non-stop, right?"

"It's lovely." The ranger turned her eyes away. Emily fixed her eyes on the girl, tracing her profile, the shape of her jaw, the way her braid hung down her back. "It's a lovely place."

As the sun rose in the sky, sweat began to bead across their skin and Paige drew to a halt. "This looks good to me."

They'd come to a shady cave, a deep, jagged tunnel snaking into the earth. Emily glanced from Paige to the dark gash and back to Paige again. "It looks a little… dark."

Paige laughed. "Oh, come on. It'll be fine. We'll stay right at the entrance. It'll just make it harder for anyone to sneak up on us. And remember, I'll protect you."

"Paige, if you keep protecting me, I'm never going to be able to pay you back."

"Wait, you're still clinging to that? Em, you stopped Jenna from killing me. I think that makes us even."

Emily shook her head. "I didn't do anything. You did most of the fighting. Besides, even if that did make us even, after last night, the balance has tipped in your favor again."

"Last night?"

"You kept Ella away, remember? Who knows what would have happened if she found out what I am." Emily looked down at her shoes. "Not to mention, you talked me out of that dark place before. You know. After I… after I killed that man."

"Em, you don't owe me for that. That's not fair."

Emily stomped her foot. "I told you before, I get to decide when I've paid my debt, okay? That still stands. I'll let you know."

Frowning, Paige acquiesced. "Fine. Let's just get this Spencer thing over with." She stormed into the cave, finding a spot that seemed level and clear of debris, with a clear view of both the entrance and the inky depths of the crevice. Emily laid down, crossing her hands across her stomach. Closing her eyes, she let out a low breath.

Paige watched the other girl settle in, her stomach churning. With a groan, she dropped to her knees beside Emily. "Em, wait." Emily's eyes snapped open.

"What?" Her voice was harsh, but she bit her lip as the word scraped out, catching Paige's eyes with her own.

"I'm sorry. We'll be even when you decide we're even." She laid her hand just beside Emily's.

"Good." Emily moved her hand over Paige's, giving it a squeeze. Their smiles faded as they regarded each other, a few thick heartbeats counting the time. Then, shaking the stiffness from her muscles, Emily closed her eyes again, loosing Paige's hand. "I'll be back soon."

With that, she slipped into the world of visions.

She had never initiated contact before. Either Spencer or Jenna had always come to her first. Both of them had explained the theory to her, however, and between them she had a good idea of what needed to be done.

Reaching out, she probed the darkness. It was not a blind exercise; she knew what Spencer felt like, on the most basic level, and she felt like a bloodhound on a scent trail, picking up little particles of Spencer-ness drifting in the ether. Before long, she had a solid trail and it grew stronger and stronger as she barreled towards her target. She was bodiless, just a consciousness hurtling through the void as fast as she could think. A soft prick of light appeared ahead of her ans she raced toward it, flinging herself into it.

Sitting beside Emily, Paige snapped her head as a sudden sound from within the cave snapped in her ears. She scrambled to her feet, drawing her sword as the air filled with low growls.

Emily was met with resistance immediately. "Spencer, it's me!" She grit her teeth - did she have teeth to grind? - as she realized her friend probably could not hear her. Pushing, she found that Spencer had thrown up an impenetrable wall. No matter how hard she pushed, she stayed at a constant distance from the glowing light ahead of her. She circled it, looking for a chink in her friend's armor but found none.

Spencer could have no way of knowing she wasn't 'A', and she wasn't doing anything to convince her otherwise. 'A' would push and push until she got what she wanted or until she was forced away; she would never let anyone else win. Emily nodded to herself.

Taking a deep breath, more to reassure herself than anything, because she was still an incorporeal spirit, she backed up just a bit. Spencer's force filled the void, and Emily pushed back, regaining her previous spot. She backed off again, letting Spencer rush in against her, though the reaction was slower. She could almost hear the cogs in Spencer's brain turning. Another push. Another retreat. Spencer almost didn't push back, that time, and Emily knew she had her. With all the strength she could muster, she flung herself against the barrier and felt a rush as she realized she had broken through.

Holding her sword in front of her, Paige felt her stomach sink as she saw a pair of eyes appear in the darkness. As the long snout and furry head appeared, another set of eyes materialized behind it. A low howl echoed through the cave. She gulped, but inched forward, standing across Emily's body. The lead wolf snarled, exposing long, threatening teeth. She ground her teeth together, dropping into a crouch.

The wolf lunged.

The warped sky above her told her that she had succeeded, though the world was dark. If Spencer was still with Toby, he would have covered her to prevent 'A' from seeing their surroundings.

"Spence!" She wrapped her arms around the other girl, jumping with joy to find her alive.

"Em! I hoped that was you!" They pulled apart, grinning. "'A' told me you were dead."

"Yeah, she told me the same thing." Emily grinned. "I knew you weren't."

"I did too. Where are you?"

"We - Paige and I - are just outside a village. I don't know where." Emily grimaced. "This Wood robbed me of all sense of direction. Where are you?"

"Toby and I fled for another ranger camp that I knew of."

"There are more? I thought your group was it. You're the Steward, right? The leader?"

Spencer laughed. "Em, there's _thousands_ of us. I may be the Steward but you can't keep that many people together in the Wood without 'A' hearing about it. We spread out. I have deputies leading the other groups."

"So what will you do now?"

Spencer crossed her arms. "We're going to send word to every ranger. We're going to get together and challenge 'A' outright." She snarled. "It's gone on long enough."

Emily smiled. "Good. It's time someone took her on. Spence?" Her face fell as she noticed that Spencer had gone stiff, eyes wide. "Spencer?"

"Em, something's happening on your end. You have to get back!"

"What? Spencer, what's happening?"

"I don't know! I think Paige is in trouble. Go!"

As soon as Paige's name crossed Spencer's lips, Emily had already begun to withdraw. In moments she was coming around, the cave coming into focus above her.

Paige's cries were the first thing she noticed. Scrambling upright, she saw the girl on the ground, a giant wolf above her, its teeth sinking into the flesh of Paige's forearm. There was at least one dead wolf on the ground, and the one that held Paige had a deep wound in its shoulder, but it snarled and tugged at its prey and Paige screamed, driving her heels into it over and over.

Emily shrieked, finding her dagger at her waist, and as she crawled towards Paige, another wolf leapt at her. It didn't have time to catch her, though, for she drove her dagger forward as it lunged, driving it deep into its ribs. The animal fell to the ground and she left it there, stumbling towards Paige, her dagger forgotten. She heard more howls; the pack was circling her now, ready to attack. The sound echoed around her but she did not hear it; her ears were full of Paige's screams, her eyes full of the pain on her face, her heart full of fear that the ranger might die.

She reached out, laying her hand along the wolf's neck; the action was involuntary, her hand guided by some impulse quivering in the subconscious part of her mind. The result was immediate; as soon as her palm pressed against the muscles that rippled beneath fur and skin, she exploded in the wolf's mind and the wolf exploded in hers, a melding of consciousness that left her breathless.

The animal loosed its - her - bite, turning to look at Emily. Their eyes met and a memory of Spencer holding Kingston bubbled forth; this was what the Steward had been talking about.

"Take your friends and go," said Emily to the wolf, and the animal tilted its head, peering at her. The breath caught in her throat. What if she was wrong?

But the wolf nodded her head and backed away, howling and slinking into the depths of the cave. Just as miraculously, the others followed, leaving Emily alone with the bleeding Paige.

Emily whirled on the injured ranger immediately, fretting over her condition.

"It's going to be okay," she reassured the other woman as she busied herself inspecting the wound. "You idiot. Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Emily's look of concentration deepened into one of anger, her eyes blazing. "We're even now, okay? No more protecting me at your own expense. We're even."

"We're… not." Paige grimaced, pulling herself up unto a sitting position as she cradled her arm in her lap. She was drenched in sweat, hair and clothes clinking to her damp, pale skin.

Emily froze, eyes flashing. "What?"

"We're not… even." A wide smile passed across Paige's face as she leaned back against the wall of the cave, ragged breaths rocking her body.

Emily shook as she protested. "You're the one who said I should decide if we're even, Paige, and I say we're-"

She never finished her sentence. Paige's fingers, rough against her neck, drew her in, bringing their lips together. Shock exploded in her mind and she froze until the sensation of the other girl's mouth against hers spread through her like wildfire. In a second she came alive, hands finding Paige's face and cupping it, sliding across her sweat-stained skin to bury themselves in her hair. Her tongue tasted salt and blood and the sweetness of Paige's breath as their lips came together again and again. The cave echoed with the sound of their gasps and the shifting of their bodies as Emily leaned into the kiss, Paige's hand moving down over her shoulders to the small of her back, pulling her in. She burned, her nerves leaping like the plucked strings of a harp with every little breath and moan and touch.

Just as the tension began to overwhelm her, as the separation between them began to eat at her and she began to forget that they were in a cave in the Wood, that Paige was injured, that wolves lurked just beyond in the darkness, Paige pulled away. Emily's eyes fluttered open; Paige's were still closed, her mouth still hanging open, in awe or in refusal to admit that the kiss had ended, Emily was not sure. She watched as Paige opened her eyes, drawing her lips into a smile.

"There," said the ranger, trailing a finger along Emily's jaw. "Now we're even."

* * *

_Yikes, that was a long one! Nearly 6000 words... that's actually the longest single chapter I've written for anything, ever, including the original manuscript I've been developing for the better part of a year._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I finally got to write some romantic scenes. This is the first kiss I've written in ages, so hopefully I've done an adequate job pleasing your little shipper hearts._

_Chapter Seven is... not in the works yet, but I hope to have it soon. I may have to switch to updating every other week, but I'm not sure yet. Rest assured it will take no longer than two weeks to write it but it very well may be longer than a single week. As mentioned above, I'm balancing this fic with an original work, and when I get into a roll working on that I can't afford to break from it until the steam runs out._

_In any case, I have this story all worked out and it just has to get written. And it will get written. I won't let it be another story that starts out strong and then disappears forever._

_Okay, enough yapping. Please give me all your comments and criticism; send me a private message or leave a review if you're so inclined. Anything you have to say is appreciated and is guaranteed to make me smile._


	7. Atop the Cliff

_Chapter Seven, folks! And it didn't quite take me two weeks. Great! This one's got a surprising amount going on; I was tempted to chop it shorter but I wanted to give you a decent amount after a prolonged wait. _

_On to reviews..._

_**saii79** - You always make me smile with your reviews. Seriously! I love reading them. I've never seen Despicable Me, but I'm aware of the minions; that connection hadn't occurred to me but of course now that you've brought it up, I can't get it out of my head. I did like that scene with the pajamas; it wasn't planned but as I was writing it popped into my head and I couldn't pass it up. _

**_P _**_- I'm glad you're enjoying it! Don't worry, I'm not discouraged. I wish there were more reviews, because I'd like to be able to get a chance to see what more people think, but I'm writing this for myself as much as I'm writing it for my readers. It's a story I want to tell, and I intend to see it through to the end. Hopefully it's good enough to keep you coming back._

_All right! I hope you like it!_

* * *

Chapter Seven

[Atop the Cliff]

Paige's smile broke, collapsing into an ugly grimace as her wounds roared, throbbing with every beat of her heart. Her body crumpled forward, her head crashing into Emily's shoulder as she shook from the pain. Emily lifted her, forcing her to lean back against the rock as she resumed treating the wound.

"You need to work on your timing."

Paige let her eyelids flutter open, raising an eyebrow as she tried to catch Emily's eye. "What?"

"Your timing. You pick the worst moments to be romantic."

The ranger shrugged, raising her eyes to the ceiling of the cave. "It must be the head rush. Attacked by wolves, being treated by a pretty girl… I couldn't resist." She tried to grin, though it was weak, and it slipped as she noticed the look on Emily's face, clear even though the girl had her head bowed, focused on Paige's arm. Paige creased her brows. "What is it?"

"It was just the rush? That's all?"

"No. No, of course not. Em, I think it's been pretty obvious how I feel about you." Emily's hands stopped working, though she kept her eyes fixed downward as Paige continued. "And I… I kind of got the sense that you might, you know, feel the same."

Emily went back to working, tying off the cloth she'd wrapped around the gashes in Paige's arm. Paige frowned. "Hey, I don't want to pressure you or anything, but that kind of statement usually merits a response."

Dragging her eyes to Paige's at last, Emily's jaw quivered, her voice shaky as she spoke. "I don't… I do like you. I really do. I've never felt like this about anyone, not since… but…"

"But?" Paige crossed her arms over her body, gripping at her upper arms, as she leaned back and away from the girl who still knelt over her. Her stomach sank, tightening like a rock as the hesitant "but…" echoed in her ears.

Emily swallowed. "I guess I just don't know if it's real. If I truly feel this way or if it's just because of everything we've gone through together. Because you're amazing, I mean, _really_ amazing, and when I'm with you I feel safe and comfortable but still so alive, somehow, but these days everything makes me feel alive. It's one scare after another and like you said, there's a rush that goes with all of that and it can make everything seem so much bigger than it really is."

"You don't have to know for sure. We can give it a try. And if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I'll be okay if that happens, trust me." She smiled, but fear danced behind her eyes, belying the ease she forced into her mouth.

Taking in the smile and the eyes, Emily pursed her lips. "I don't want to lead you on. I don't want to hurt you if it turns out to be just a result of this whole mess. Because whatever it is, I do still care about you. I mean that. So I don't want to put you through that if it turns out to be nothing."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them away, breaking eye contact with the ranger as the ranger felt her own heart break in two, her smile fading. She reached up a hand, wiping at Emily's tears with her thumb. "Right now…" she whispered. "Does it feel like nothing _right now_?"

Lifting her gaze to Paige's once again, Emily shook her head. Paige cupped her hand around Emily's cheek. "Then that's all that matters." She leaned in, and Emily mirrored her, and their lips met once more, soft this time, breaths slow and deep, fingers tracing delicate circles on each others' skin. As they pulled away, Emily leaned her forehead against Paige's, letting out her last breath in a slow sigh.

"Okay," she said. "Let's try it. This. Let's try."

They stayed that way for a few moments, words lost, learning each other's outlines anew with eyes and fingers, their caresses light and just brushing the surface of the people that lay beneath. It wasn't quite innocent but it wasn't lustful, either, not completely; spurred by curiosity and fledgling desire, they breathed the new air that seemed to dance around and between them, pregnant with the spice of something potent and alluring. Each strand of hair tucked behind an ear and each dip of a head to break a burgeoning look between them crackled with the potential of the thing that now surrounded them.

The veneer of innocence began to grate beneath Paige's fingers, though, and as she felt it scrape and burn and peel away her restraint, she squirmed, rising up beneath Emily until the other girl noticed, scrambling to her feet and helping the ranger to hers. Paige started out again, a few steps ahead of Emily, tucking her arm against her chest. Her breath caught in her throat when Emily scampered up next to her, slipping her fingers around the hand that still dangled at Paige's side, snaking them between Paige's so that they twined together, the fit as perfect as if Emily's hand was the mold and Paige's the casting born from it. As Paige gave her hand a squeeze, Emily felt warmth pool in her cheeks and neck; neither spoke but both smiled, eyes twinkling and steps light as they wound their way back through the Wood.

When they arrived in town, Ella helped Emily dress Paige's wound properly as she chided them for taking risks like that, her tone dripping with sarcasm that only just masked the genuine concern beneath her voice. As the three of them sat at her table, Ella fretting like her own mother might, Emily felt the absence of the woman's family like a vacuum, conspicuous by its emptiness.

Ella fixed them a full meal that night and ushered them to bed; they changed out of each other's sight, again, though when they slipped into bed the accidental touches that had driven them apart the previous night called them together, Emily curling against Paige's good side without pressing too close, her hand resting over Paige's over her chest, over the blanket.

The next few days were spent recuperating, milling about the town while Paige's wounds healed, nasty, thick scabs crusting over the deep gashes the wolf had left in her arm. The wolf itself - herself, Emily reminded Paige - hadn't been seen since, though Emily was sure she'd show herself in time. It was confusing for her and she imagined it was similar for the animal, if not more so. In any case, she knew neither her wolf nor the rest of the pack would do them any more harm, and Paige was satisfied at that.

If they wandered into the Wood, they stayed close, the town always just visible between the trees. Hand in hand, they laughed and napped and kissed in the dappled light, skin warm and tingling. Everything was light, their touches and kisses ending just as they teetered on the edge of something more, Paige backing away each time, though each time it took her longer to do so. As they balanced on the cliff, Emily's eyes watched the churning waters below, seeing the rocks that they might dash themselves against. Her knees were bent, ready for the jump, but without a push she would not go and Paige was unwilling to provide that push. She saw the rocks, too, and as much as she assured Emily that they'd miss them, she was sure that if they fell, it would be her body broken and mangled while Emily swam to safety.

As they left Ella's one morning, they spotted a newcomer in town, unkempt black hair sitting atop a round, pale face. Emily dropped Paige's hand and nodded as they approached him. He was busy setting up his peddler's cart, stacking items for display. They flanked him, blocking two of his exits, and as his cart was nestled against his building, if he ran, there was only one place he could go.

When he noticed them, he smiled, a crooked smile that matched the nervousness in his eyes; a nervousness not inspired by them but simply a natural part of him. "Morning, ladies!" His enthusiasm was caked-on. An act. "See anything you like? I'm not finished setting up but I have goods from across the world. If you're looking for it, I probably have it."

Emily made a show of inspecting his goods while Paige crossed her arms and regarded him, squinting her eyes and pursing her lips. Glancing from Emily to her companion, he saw the sword at her side and the rigid set of her jaw, the way she planted her feet and flexed her muscles. He whipped his hat from his head, bowing with a flourish. "Oh, you're a ranger, I see. Don't worry! Special discounts for rangers, my good woman." He leaned in. "Just keep it quiet, if you please. I support your cause but the witch has her ways, hm? Can't cross her outright."

Paige raised an eyebrow, her face frozen in its stern gaze, and he stammered. "R-right." He turned to Emily. "Can I help you find anything? Anything in particular?"

She smiled, beaming at him, and his face melted, his knees probably going weak, Paige thought, because even though she wasn't the recipient, she could feel her own legs turning to jelly.

"I am looking for something special, actually." Emily took a step back so that she stood square to him. "We've been waiting for you to show up. I think you're just the man we've been looking for."

His eyes narrowed, just for a moment, at that, suspicion darting across his face as though a cloud had just passed over him and cast him in shadow, but as soon as it appeared it was gone, masked again by that cloying salesman's voice. "Oh, I'm sure I am, ma'am, you won't find a wider selection of wares with any other peddler, believe you me. What is it you're looking for?"

She laughed, her body shaking, the motion hiding the shifting of her feet to a wider stance. "It's not a what, it's a who."

"A who?" He puzzled over her words before anger flitted in his eyes and he jammed his hat onto his head.

"You're making fun of me." He was more direct, now, the sweet voice melting to reveal a harder, thicker one beneath. "I don't appreciate it."

"I'm not. I'm looking for someone and I know you can help me. Have you ever heard of a man named Rivers?"

By the time she opened her mouth to speak the name, he had already turned to run, and as the name finished its spill over her lips, he had thrown his cart in their path and begun his flight towards the Wood. Emily was after him, long legs flashing, as Paige leapt the cart, her injured arm stiff at her side. Villagers poured out of their houses at the clamor, gaping at the upturned cart and the three figures sprinting into the depths of the trees.

He set a lightning pace, darting around the trunks at the last minute, leaping over roots and rocks as fast as his short legs would carry him. Emily fell behind, slowed by the fear that pounded in her chest every time she hurtled towards a tree. Before long, Paige overtook her, eyes and body long accustomed to the random scattering of trees and detritus, reflexes honed by years of practice. Yet Lucas was just as fast; while her speed was borne of formal training passed on by the very best, his was natural, the result of a childhood lived beneath the leaves, of games of hide and seek and leapfrog and tag played in and around the trees at the breakneck speed of youth.

Lungs burning, Emily came to a stop, resting her hands on her knees as she gasped for breath. Paige and Lucas disappeared ahead of her. As she wiped the sweat from her brow, a twinge ran through her body, each muscle cramping all at once before relaxing. She turned her head, knowing what she would see: the wolf, just visible between the trees, her eyes focused on the human girl who had changed her life forever.

Remembering how the wolf had responded to her before, Emily took a step forward. "Can you stop him? Don't hurt him, just…"

The wolf was gone in a flash of fur before she could finish. Emily jogged after her, finding her second wind.

Paige and Lucas were locked, neither one gaining any ground on the other. Their muscles burned and Paige's arm was dead weight, stiff at her side, even as she pumped the other to drive her forward. She gritted her teeth and powered on but her steps were growing clumsier and she could only hope that Lucas was having the same trouble. She could hear his ragged breaths ahead of her, echoing about. As she listened, straining to see him, her foot caught a root and she tumbled to the ground, catching herself on her good palm and rolling, unhurt, to her side. She swore as she climbed back to her feet, breaking into as much of a run as she could manage, but Lucas had already vanished from her sight.

Then she heard his screams, his thick voice strung high as he yelped. She made for the sound, slower, her hand falling to her sword. By the time she saw him again, she had slowed to a crawl, body tucked into a crouch. She sucked in her breath when she saw the wolf, all teeth and snarls and fur, but when the animal lifted its head to her, its menacing glare faltering for just a moment, she let it out again with a deep sigh. Still, she dared not approach, hanging back until Emily arrived.

Out of breath, the other girl jogged up, smiling when she saw the wolf's handiwork. She stepped over to the animal, laying her hand on its neck, smiling when it leaned its massive body up against her. Satisfied that she was not destined to be a meal, Paige took the beast's place standing over Lucas.

"Don't take me to her, please! I won't tell you where he is so just kill me now!"

"We're not with 'A'." Paige smiled as she gazed down at him. His expression faltered.

"You're… not?"

Paige shook her head. "Nope. Sure had you fooled, though." She leaned over, extending her hand and hauling him to his feet when he took it.

"So… so why are you looking for Rivers?" Balling his hands at his sides, he looked at each of them in turn, though he refused to look at the wolf. "I made a promise to a friend and I won't break it easily."

"'A' has my parents." Emily buried her fingers in the wolf's fur as she spoke. "We're going to get them back, but we need Rivers' help."

"His help? To do what?"

"Break into the witch's fortress." Paige grinned, crossing her arms.

"Are you insane? You're insane."

Emily frowned. "She has to be stopped, Lucas."

"And the two of you, plus Rivers, are going to do that on your own? Yeah, right. I won't let you try to get him involved in your crazy scheme."

"It's not just us." Emily put her hands on her hips. "The Steward is gathering all of the rangers. We're just… the advance party."

"Why should I even believe you? I mean you… you're clearly a messenger," he said, gesturing towards the wolf. "How do I know you're not just lying to me?"

"If I worked for 'A', my friend here would have done a lot more than knock you over," said Emily, scratching behind the wolf's ear; somehow, she had known that her new friend would appreciate the gesture.

He gulped. "Point taken." Crossing his arms, he stared at the ground, mind working as he considered his options. "He's going to hate me, but okay. For some reason, I believe you. And for the same unknown reason, I think you actually stand a chance." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Rivers has been living up on the mountain, right near the tree line. He doesn't really have one place he calls home but he has a few places he likes to camp and hunt and fish."

Paige conferred with him for a while, discussing the best paths to those campsites, and as they talked, Emily crouched by the wolf, bringing their faces close. The animal regarded her with her round eyes, and Emily leaned her head, resting it against the animal. Like before, she experienced a flash of communion, a oneness with the animal, though without the visceral force it had had the first time. This was gentler, an exchange of information rather than the hurried colliding of souls.

She stood as Paige and Lucas finished their business, a brisk handshake sealing the affair. Though they were all heading back to the same village, Paige hung back, letting the boy get a head start before she and Emily followed. The wolf padded along at Emily's side.

Catching the look on Paige's face as she eyed the animal, Emily laughed.

"Her name's Aela."

"You named her?" Paige squinted at Emily. "Where'd the name Aela come from?"

Emily shook her head. "It's just her name. She told me."

"Told you? I didn't hear her… wolves can't talk."

"Of course not!" Emily tapped her temple. "She told me in here. It's kind of like messaging with a human but more, I don't know, basic. It's a lot of sensations rather than words, but her name was pretty clear."

"Aela. Hm." Paige bent to look around Emily, meeting eyes with Aela, who gazed back, unperturbed. "Well, as long as she's on our side, I'm fine with her. She probably shouldn't come into the village, though."

Aela took the hint, and as they drew close to the village, she slinked away, though her presence was always on the outskirts of Emily's mind, a warm feeling just at the limits of her awareness.

They spent one last night at Ella's. The older woman said she hated to see them go, and they believed her; they both found it hard to think of leaving. She reminded Emily of her own mother, and for Paige, whose mother had died in a time beyond memory, she filled a spot that had been empty her whole life.

In the early morning, while the ground was still coated with dew and a heavy mist clung to the ground, they headed for the mountain. The journey took a few days and they knew they'd found it when their path began to slope up beneath them, and soon enough the climb became so steep that they couldn't go straight up but had to wind back and forth in order for Pru to be able to find her footing. Aela followed them at a distance, running ahead and behind, out of sight. Despite Pru's preternaturally calm nature, the wolf was something she could not abide, and Aela stayed out of the horse's sight.

As they climbed higher, their path led them along a rocky cliff, framed on one side by a steep incline spotted with skinny trees and on the other by a sheer drop. They proceeded single file, Paige leading the way, Emily behind her and Pru bringing up the rear. Aela was nowhere to be found.

The way was just wide enough for Pru, so the humans had ample room to walk, though the sight of the trees so small below them made Emily dizzy. She pressed close to the inner slope of the cliff, hand outstretched to brush against the rough, slender trunks of the trees as they passed.

When the sun rose to its peak in the sky, they stopped and ate, munching on their usual provisions and finishing the stale remains of the bread that Ella had packed for them. The land stretched out beyond them, thick with green trees like a carpet as far as the eye could see. The land rolled, hills and mountains thrust up beneath the Wood but unable to shed it; it clung like a film of dust to everything beneath it.

"It doesn't go on forever, does it?" Emily wiped crumbs from the corners of her mouth as she turned to Paige. The ranger sat on the edge of the cliff, legs dangling over the side. She'd invited Emily to join her, but the other girl had refused, leaning back in the shade of an unusually large tree.

"Nah." Paige shook her head. "It ends. There are villages like ours all around it. And then the grass sea, and then the desert. And that," she said, shoving the last hunk of crust into her mouth, "is all there is."

Emily stood, walking to the edge and peering over. "I can't believe it sometimes. Growing up there, I never thought this would be my life someday. Standing on top of the tallest mountain, just _seeing_ everything."

Paige swallowed her food, licking the crumbs from her fingers. "What did you think you'd be doing?" She leaned back to look up at the girl who stood beside her.

"Me?" Emily shrugged. "I don't know, the usual stuff. Help my parents with the animals, work in one of the shops. Maybe get married someday. Before Ali died, I always kind of hoped…" she trailed off as she caught the look on Paige's face. "I-it doesn't matter. I never really believed that would happen, anyway. She never felt like that about me. And after she was gone I realized how horrible she was. Believe me, there's nothing left of that now."

Paige folded and unfolded her hands in front of her. "Good," she said, her voice small and quiet, so that Emily could only just hear her. The air was thin and yet it hung heavy about them.

"If you hadn't been a ranger, what about you?" Emily sat down beside the other girl, gulping as she saw the world sprawled beneath her swinging feet.

"Nothing." Paige laughed. "Being a ranger was all there ever was. I never considered anything else."

"Never? You can't tell me that you wanted to be a ranger even when we were little. I mean, you were such a tomboy, I'm not surprised." Emily giggled and Paige blushed. "But you never used to be so serious."

"I guess not. I guess there was a time I didn't really think about it. I guess somewhere along the line, that changed."

"Why?"

Paige jumped, the reason having placed her own hand over Paige's just then.

_A younger face swam in her memory, a wide grin with the two front teeth missing, black hair flying wild about a rosy-cheeked face. The eyes, though, were the same, deep and warm, and the small hand that she had taken in her own had felt just as right._

"_Come on, Emmy," she'd said, her own little tongue still unable to get the name right. There had been such a thrill when she'd grabbed that hand; she'd wanted to for ages, without knowing why, and when their bony little fingers meshed like that, just so, it felt like vindication for that wanting._

"_Where're we going?" The voice behind her was so quiet. There was no grin now; the eyes shimmered with just a little bit of fear as Paige dragged her toward the Wood._

"_You'll see." There were other kids with them, some of them Paige's friends, but none of them mattered, now. She was going to show Emily just how good of a friend she could be._

"_We're not supposed to!" The girl behind her tugged, stopping Paige in her tracks. Paige turned, her mind racing; she was dead-set on showing off and that wouldn't work if Emily wasn't there to see her act brave._

"_What are you, scared?" As soon as the words were out of her lips, she knew they wouldn't win her any points, and her fears were confirmed when the other girl dropped her hand like a hot potato._

"_I'm not scared." Emily stomped ahead of her, straight for the Wood. Paige paused, watching her go, then sprinted to catch up._

"_If you do get scared, you can hold my hand again," she said, reaching for Emily's as she said it, but the other girl crossed her arms across her chest._

"_I said I'm not scared."_

_They didn't speak any more, just followed the other kids deeper into the Wood. After a time, the tension dissipated, lost with the short grudges of youth, and Paige regained some of her swagger._

"_Wanna climb a tree?" She darted for a tree of middling climbing difficulty, its lowest branch out of reach of a jump but with bark rough enough for little fingers and toes to find a grip. Without waiting for Emily's answer, she shucked off her shoes and leapt, gripping the trunk with her knees as she shimmied to the lowest branch. Climbing onto it, she swung over, hanging with the branch tucked between her thighs and calves, her shirt slipping down to her armpits and her braid dangling below her._

_Emily stayed rooted to the ground, just watching, though her grin spread back across her face. Emboldened, Paige began to swing, then, grabbing the branch with her hands, released her knees and flipped backwards, dropping from the branch and landing on her feet. The landing was a bit unsteady, but she windmilled her arms until she found her balance again._

_The other girl was already standing at the trunk of the tree, hands gripping the bark. "I wanna try," she said._

_Paige coached her, lifting her up when she couldn't climb the trunk by herself. As Emily shimmied out onto the branch, her arms fully extended and her toes pointed toward the ground, Paige tried to talk her through the trick. Just as Emily had gotten one leg over the branch, her fingers slipped and she tumbled to the ground landing on her back._

_The tears were instant and Paige rushed over._

"_Are you-"_

"_Emily! Are you okay!" A tiny blond girl interrupted her, the golden waves of her hair glittering in the light. She bent over, helping the other girl to her feet. As Emily sobbed, the girl drew her into a hug, though the look on her face was anything but kind. "What are you doing, Paige?" The words were like venom, and her face was almost snake-like._

"_We were just-"_

"_Emily could have been really hurt. Are you stupid?"_

"_She wasn't _that _hurt, Ali." The statement brought forth another burst of tears._

"_Oh yeah? You're so _mean_, Paige."_

"_I would have helped her!"_

"_It didn't look like that to me!" Ali stroked Emily's hair. "It's okay. It's good I was here to protect you."_

_Paige scowled. She hadn't seen any protecting going on. But Ali was already leading the other girl away, hand in hand. Anger welled up in her, her little fists shaking at her side. "I'm gonna protect her next time. It's gonna be me."_

Shrugging, Paige turned her hand around, capturing Emily's fingers with her own. "I don't know. It's just one of those things, I guess." She stood, stretching her too-relaxed muscles. "Anyway, time to get going again."

Emily joined her, then stepped in close, brushing her lips against Paige's. She watched the other girl as she pulled back, her face flushing and a tight smile on her face. The smile grew as Paige's face flashed from shock to satisfaction.

"What was that for?"

Emily shrugged. "I guess it's just one of those things, Paige." She raised her eyebrows as she parroted the other girl's words back to her. Warmth spread through her, from her face and neck, out through the tightening, fluttering knot in her stomach. She linked their fingers, their palms slick from the heat of the noon sun but the feeling welcome nonetheless. Paige gave her hand a squeeze.

And then Emily went still, her body crumpling, toppling over the edge.

* * *

_And there's Chapter Seven. I really liked how this chapter came out, so hope you enjoyed it, too! Emily may not be ready to commit to anything too serious at the moment, but rest assured, she'll get there. This is a Paily story, after all, even if it is Paily buried under some fun fantasy shenanigans. I just hope it makes sense in the context of her story and her character and doesn't seem like I'm just dragging it out for the sake of dragging it out. That's the last thing I want._

_It seems like it's becoming a habit, but once again I'm not sure how long it'll take for Chapter Eight. This one took less than two weeks, and I was absolutely not feeling it until today, though, so that's a good sign for the next one._

_As always, I love getting reviews, so please leave one if you feel inclined! :)_

_Edit: Does it bother a lot of people that I named the wolf Maya? I had a really hard time coming up with a name that made sense, someone who is important to Emily in the show who hasn't or won't be used in this story as their own character. I dislike the idea of making up my own name. I don't know. If it rubs a lot of people the wrong way, I have no qualms about changing it. The last thing I want to do is drag you out of the story with a name that doesn't work that isn't important to the plot in any way. Let me know if you have an opinion on the matter (PM, review, whatever). I'm even open to suggestions! _

_Edit Edit: Changed the wolf's name to Aela. See Ch. 8 A/N for my reasoning._


	8. Rivers in the Mountains

_Well. This took me a long, long time. There are a lot of reasons for that. I mentioned some on my tumblr, but I won't assume you follow it, so I'll go through them quickly. 1) I had a really, really rough time in mid July. The woman I love went through a very dark time in her life, and my number one priority was taking care of her. 2) I got into a groove on my original manuscript. I have every intention of publishing it, so when I get inspiration, I have to follow it. 3) I then got hit with some really nasty writer's block for the first time in a long, long time._

_These aren't excuses. This is late. It's been two months. I'm a jerk. But they are reasons, and I think you deserve some explanation. I can only hope you aren't too mad._

_I had a lot of comments so I won't reply to them all individually. I will note that enough people didn't like that the wolf was named Maya, so I have changed it. She's now named Aela, after my beautiful Skyrim wife, Aela the Huntress._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Eight  
[Rivers in the Mountains]

Paige's fingers flailed, snatching at Emily's clothes as the girl's muscles loosened, knees buckling under her dead weight. Emily's hand slipped from her own as the girl fell back over the edge of the cliff, eyes already wide and unseeing. Heart pounding, Paige leaned out, reaching her arm around Emily's back, but as she circled the girl in her embrace, pulling her close, she let out a shout. She'd leaned too far, gravity tugging her off her tiptoes and into the open air.

Her thoughts vanished, replaced by pure panic, and as she felt her weight seeping from her body she clung to Emily with all her strength.

Then, with a jerk, their fall was interrupted and they swung back towards the cliff, anchored at Paige's ankle. She winced; something held her foot in a vice-grip. Her muscles tensed as momentum carried them into the cliff, shoulder striking the craggy outcropping. They dangled, unmoving: Paige unwilling and Emily unable. When their rocking ceased, Paige squirmed but could not catch a glimpse of who or what had caught her, but she heard the unmistakable labored breaths of the wolf.

"Aela!" Paige felt the wolf's teeth bite just a bit deeper into her ankle. She squeezed her eyes together. "Pull us up!"

The wolf tugged, claws scrabbling against the rock. Paige felt herself lift, inch by inch, as the wolf's teeth dug into her foot. Her throat constricted and she ground her lip between her teeth, fingers digging into Emily's back. The world lay beneath them, so, so far below.

As her knee scraped over the edge of the cliff, Aela's feet lost their purchase and the girls dropped. Paige's heart leapt into her throat as the world exploded around her and she thought she heard herself scream, but all she knew was that they were falling and that was it and at least she'd go down with Emily in her arms.

But Aela dug her claws in and stopped them yet again, teeth digging through the thick leather of Paige's boot. Just as before, they swung like a pendulum, Paige's skull glancing off the open face of the cliff once before they came to a swaying equilibrium.

"Better not try that anymore," said Paige to the wolf. The animal whined, but did not attempt to lift them again; her muscles burned and it was all she could do to hold them in place. Paige drew Emily closer, her lips brushing the other girl's neck. Though her own heart throbbed, blood and adrenaline coursing through her, Emily's pulse thrummed slow beneath the skin. Squeezing her eyes shut, Paige pressed her mouth against that spot, not kissing but simply feeling the steady beat beneath her own twinging skin. She willed her heart to match Emily's.

"It'll be okay." Her voice was muffled, her breath thick and hot in the curve of the other girl's neck. "It'll be okay."

* * *

"You pick the worst times to show up!" Emily clenched and unclenched her fists as she stared down the veiled figure in front of her.

"It's a talent." The witch fell silent, crossing her arms as she gazed around the black sky. "You aren't kidding. How did you end up dangling upside-down in the air?"

The blood drained from Emily's face as she realized what must have happened. 'A' didn't seem to notice.

"At least that ranger of yours caught you. She cares about you, doesn't she?" The witch flinched; she raised a hand to her neck. "_Really_ cares about you. Tell me her name."

Though she was unsure what Paige had done to draw such a comment from 'A', the implication was clear. Blood rushed back to Emily's face as a jealous haze flared in her thoughts. She scowled and clamped her jaw shut. 'A' sighed.

"You don't need to be this difficult. Oh well. Take a look at this." Before she'd even finished the sentence, the world around Emily began to wobble and she felt a force hook into her ribcage, dragging her into the world that 'A' saw. As the world came into that familiar distorted focus, she gasped, clamping her hands over her mouth. Stretched across the sky were her parents, bruised and bound, leaning limp against the walls of a stone prison. Wayne was unconscious but Pam's eyes glinted in the flickering light; there must have been a torch somewhere.

A voice rang out and a young woman, also dressed in all black, stepped into the periphery of the view. Her face was hard, dark eyes set in brown skin, hair pulled in a tight knot against her skull. With another command from the voice, she strode towards the captives. Gathering Pam's torn dress in her fingers, she hauled the woman to her feet then slammed her against the wall. Pam cried out and Emily felt hot tears spilling from her eyes, her gut twisting as her mother ground her teeth against the pain.

A shout tore free of Emily's lungs as the woman drove the back of her hand across Pam's face, knuckles catching an already-purple bruise and splitting the skin on her cheekbone. Pam's knees buckled but the woman held her upright, brows furrowed as she struck again. The sound of his wife's pain dragged Wayne to consciousness, and he began to shout, his eyes flicking from the woman to 'A' to his wife. He yelled for them to stop, for them to hit him instead; 'A' just laughed.

There must have been a signal, because the dark-clothed woman dropped Pam just as she was drawing back her hand to strike again. She stepped back as Pam collapsed to the ground, tipping over onto her husband's lap. She lay there, sobbing and moaning in pain, while Wayne hurled curses at his captors. The woman stepped toward him and drove her foot into his side, catching his ribs with a crunch, and he doubled over. A flicker of emotion crossed her face but as she glanced towards 'A', she drew the uncaring mask over herself again.

Emily fell to her knees, face wet with tears. "Please. Please, just stop. Stop it!"

'A' waved her hand and the world faded away. A few strides carried her over to Emily and her hand found Emily's throat, fingers pressing around the girl's windpipe. Emily could just see the outline of a face through the gauzy veil, but the sight swam in front of her as 'A's grip robbed her of breath. "This is the last time, do you understand? If I have to visit you again, I will kill them. I'd like you to come to me, Emily; it just makes things easier. But don't think for a moment that I won't someday find you and bring you here against your will." She released the girl, shoving her back to the ground. "Besides, I know where you are now. Your ranger can't cover your eyes if you're both dangling in space, can she? Oh, I know you'll run and hide. You can lead my soldiers on a nice little goose chase if you want. But I don't think you do.

"You have a fortnight. Do you hear me? If you don't turn yourself in by that time, your parents will die. Their blood will be on your hands. And I will never stop hunting you. That ranger can't protect you forever; someday one of you will make a mistake, and then I'll have you both. And I will make you watch as she dies."

The witch turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving Emily kneeling on the ground. Then the world vanished and Emily made no attempt to stop it; she closed her eyes and waited for reality to resume around her.

When the wide sky appeared in front of her and she felt the pressure of the blood pooling in her head, her first reaction was to struggle. Something held her tight; for a moment, she could not figure out what it was. Then she felt the flutter of eyelashes against her cheek, the panicked voice of her companion. "Em! Hey, it's okay! Calm down!"

Her breaths slowed as she remembered where she was. She wrapped her arms around Paige, one hand flat on her back and the other around the back of her neck, pressing a firm kiss against the other girl's temple. "You saved me."

Paige laughed away the comment. "Aela saved us. I couldn't do anything."

"Well, she wouldn't have been able to catch me by herself. Now, how are we getting out of this mess?"

"Good question." Paige strained to look up to the cliff edge, but the sound of scrabbling claws and a wolf's whine stopped her in the act. "I don't know. I'm amazed she hasn't dropped us yet, honestly."

"Maybe I can try to grab onto the cliff from here? And then when I get to the top, Aela and I can pull you up."

"We're definitely dead if you don't try anything, so you might as well. Just take it slow."

"I will." She loosened her grip on Paige, though the other girl still gripped her. As she pulled her head back, their eyes met; Emily bit her lip before dragging her eyes away. She reached out, feeling along the face of the cliff. It was rough but as much as she searched, she couldn't find a place to hook her fingers. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes and she blinked them back.

Then a voice echoed from above. "You ladies need some help?"

"Gods, yes!" shouted Paige. Emily turned her eyes back to the other girl, whose eyebrows arced toward the ground. Paige craned her neck but couldn't see their guest. "Em, can you see?"

Emily tried, but met with failure as well. She shook her head.

Then her stomach flipped as she jerked upward. Someone had grabbed her ankles.

The pair inched upward, sweating palms wrapped around Emily's feet and Aela's teeth still deep in Paige's boot. With each stuttering start, Paige squeezed Emily close and the other girl did the same. Emily watched the cliff face change with each inch they raised.

Their helper grunted, his voice deep and male. "Almost there," he said. His hand buried itself in the fabric at her back and she was hauled upright. As she crossed the edge, he whirled about and shoved her back towards the trees, then doubled over, hands on his knees. Aela continued to drag Paige upward until the girl could get her hands on the edge and push herself over.

As all three caught their breath, Emily heaved out her appreciation. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"No problem," said their rescuer between breaths. His stringy brown hair fell over his thin face. "Can I ask how you folks ended up like that?"

Paige, sprawled out on the ground, exchanged a wary look with Emily before answering. "My friend here," she said, nodding towards the other girl, "is a little bit clumsy. And I'm a little bit stupid, so I jumped after her."

"A little bit brave, you mean." Emily shook her head at Paige, but a smile played about her lips. Paige grinned, dropping her eyes from Emily's. The man stretched to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're a terrible liar."

Paige's mouth fell open. "What? I'm not-"

"Even if I believed the first part of that story, you expect me to believe a wolf just happened to come along and catch you?" He waved his hand at Aela, who had curled up beside Emily. The messenger worked her fingers in the animal's fur.

Emily and Paige exchanged another look. The man sighed in exasperation. "You're a messenger," he said to Emily. "It's okay. You don't need to hide it. I have no problem with your kind." His serious look turned into a smile. Emily returned it.

"Are you Rivers?" she asked. It was his turn to look surprised.

"Yeah, how did you…" His face darkened. "Lucas."

"Whoah, hey." Paige scrambled to her feet, holding her hands out as if to stop a charging bull. "Calm down. We pretty much threatened it out of him. Not his fault. What would you do if Aela here pounced on you?" The wolf perked her ears at the sound of her name and Rivers grimaced. Paige shrugged. "Okay, maybe you wouldn't tell. But I think we both know your friend Lucas isn't made of the sternest stuff."

Rivers flicked his hair out of his face. "Yeah, he's a good kid, but a wolf's out of his league." He walked to the tree-lined edge of the road, flinging a sack and bow and quiver of arrows onto his back. He tugged at the straps. "So, if you know who I am, I take it you came this way looking for me? Why?"

Emily gave Aela one last stroke then stood, brushing dirt from her clothes. "We heard you know how to break into the witch's palace."

Whatever Rivers had been expecting, it wasn't that. His jaw dropped. "Break into 'A's palace? Are you crazy?"

"Lucas asked us the same thing," said Paige, with a smirk.

"Lucas has a good head on his shoulders. Unlike the two of you, it seems." Rivers scowled. "First, what makes you think I know anything like that, and second, why in the Gods' great earth are you even interested?"

Paige shrugged. "As to the first thing, people talk. Rumor has it you used to work for the bitch. Second…" The ranger glanced at Emily and a tight smile played about her lips. "Well, it's a long story."

Rivers crossed his arms in front of him, his face growing darker with each passing second. His eyebrows knit together over his dark eyes.

"Rivers?" Paige ducked her head, trying to catch his eye. He looked up.

"Caleb. Just call me Caleb. Rivers is what they called me when I worked for her."

Emily smiled. "So the rumors were true."

He nodded. "The rumors were true." His eyes found Paige's, then Emily's. "I want to hear your long story."

"And then you'll help us?"

He shook his head. "You may _actually_ be crazy. I don't work with crazies. But if you're only _slightly_ crazy… then I'll give it my full consideration. Fair?"

"Fair," said Paige. She reached out her hand. The mountain man took it and gave it a quick pump. He resettled his things on his shoulders.

"Well, you might as well follow me to mine and sit down while you tell it," said Caleb. "Come on."

He set off along the path and the girls followed him. Before long, he broke away from the blazed trail and struck out through the trees. At times they scrambled to keep up with him; his long legs carried him along with graceful speed. When the trees gave way to jagged rocks, he scaled them with ease and did not look back at his tag-along companions. Paige scowled at his back in between reaching behind to pull Emily up the steep incline.

"I'm fine, Paige. I can climb," said the other girl, but she smiled as she wrapped her hand around Paige's forearm and felt the muscles tighten beneath the ranger's skin.

"I'm not worried about you climbing." Paige grunted as she hauled Emily over an outcropping. "I'm worried about you falling." She turned and began to climb again.

Emily stopped. "Paige."

"Yeah?" The ranger continued climbing. Emily refused to move, her eyes growing wide as she watched Paige disappear above her.

"Paige!"

The ranger paused, balanced partway up the cascade of rocks that made up the face of the mountain. She looked down at Emily and searched the other woman's face. "What is it, Em?"

"You know I appreciate you taking care of me all the time. But you have to stop worrying so much."

Paige frowned. "I can't help it."

"Did I or did I not tell you to stop protecting me in that cave?"

"You told me to stop protecting you at my own expense. Helping you up a cliff is hardly dangerous."

Emily crossed her arms. "Jumping off a cliff to catch me is."

Paige blanched. She turned to face the rocks again, hooking her fingers into the crevices and preparing to climb.

"Paige. Please look at me." Emily began to climb towards the ranger. Some scree came loose as she climbed, slipping down and bouncing from rock to rock with a tinkling rush. Paige flinched at the sound and whirled about to face the other woman.

"Emily, I take care of people. That's what I do. That's what I'm trained to do. And you... look, I've risked my life for people I don't even know. And I know you. I more than know you; I care about you, a _lot_. So putting my life on the line for you is a given. You can't ask me to stop, because it's not something I can do."

Paige's eyes were filled with pain, and Emily had to turn away. "I know that. But if anything happened to you because of me..."

"Is this really about me?"

Emily looked up again, finding the ranger's eyes wide with sympathy and understanding. Her mind filled with the image of her parents, bloodied and broken, at the mercy of 'A'. She began to tremble.

"Hey! I'm not waiting for you!" Caleb shouted from the top of the rock wall. They looked up and saw him leaning over the edge, Aela circling behind him. He seemed unaffected by her presence.

Paige ignored him. "What did you see? What did 'A' say?" She began to climb down towards Emily.

"It doesn't matter," said the girl. She sped up her climb, pushing past the ranger. Paige frowned and followed.

"Please don't shut me out."

"I don't want to talk about it. I'll tell you later. And yes. It is about you. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I worry about you as much as you worry about me? I worry about you all the time because I can't trust you to take care of yourself."

Paige frowned as she climbed up after the other girl. "I can take care of myself just fine."

"In theory, maybe." Emily shook her head, wincing as she scraped her knuckles on a sharp edge. "But you don't practice that. You're so willing to throw your life away just for me. I don't want that!"

"You don't want it on your conscience. I get it. After everything with your parents…"

"No!" Emily whirled to face the ranger below her, her face white. Paige gulped as Emily continued. "I mean, yes, but… there's more to it. I care about you. I really care about you! And if something happened to you, because of me or not, I don't know what I'd do.

"I wish I could protect you, the way you protect me. It makes me sick that I can't. So every time you put yourself in danger for me, I feel even more useless. So please. I know I'm asking the impossible, because I'd do the same if I were in your shoes. But you can't treat your life like it doesn't matter. It does matter. It matters so much."

Emily sniffed. Her eyes were red.

"Emily…" Paige climbed faster, eager to draw even with the other girl, but Emily had already started her ascent again, disappearing over the edge after Caleb. Paige sighed, wiped her own puffy eyes, and followed.

They reached Caleb's camp by nightfall. It was little more than a crack in a cliff face with a makeshift fire pit and some carved-out cubbyholes in the walls. A dirty blanket was tucked under an overhang and he'd managed to stretch a piece of canvas over the top as a buffer against the elements. Paige helped him get a fire going. She and Emily had not spoken any more; Emily seemed unwilling and in any case, neither wanted to discuss such matters in front of a virtual stranger like Caleb Rivers. He was just as wary of them as they were of him.

When the flame crackled happily and they had partaken of some dry rations and Caleb's gamy offerings, he fixed them with his serious eyes.

"You have a story to tell."

His attention flicked from the messenger to the ranger, waiting for one to speak.

"It's my story," said Emily. The night had gotten cold, and Caleb had offered her a blanket. She drew it around her shoulders as she began to speak. Her voice was low and calm as she worked her way through the tale, from the moment she'd been reunited with Paige in front of Ali's grave, to the instant he found them, hanging from the cliff awaiting a certain fate. He nodded along, glancing at Paige from time to time as the ranger nodded or interrupted to add something to the story.

When Emily finished, he prodded the flame and stared into its depths. "So that's it," he said.

"That's it." She nodded. "The whole truth. You're our last chance. I wouldn't risk anything by lying."

He was silent, and they let him be. They'd made their case.

After what seemed to be hours, he spoke again. "Okay," he said.

"Okay?" Paige fixed him with her gaze, one eyebrow raised.

He nodded. "Okay. I'll help. I'll even come with you."

Emily's face broke into a wide smile. "Really? Thank you!"

He returned her smile, but his eyes were still dark. "It's not for you," he said. "I'll help you get in, but there's one condition."

"Name it," said Paige.

"When I escaped," he began, stroking the stubble that had sprouted on his chin, "I left in a hurry. I left something behind. Something very important."

"Valuable?" asked the ranger.

"Very." He nodded.

Emily reached out, gripping Paige's knee. She did not look at the ranger, but fixed her excited eyes on Caleb. "Of course we'll help you get it back," she said. "Anything. Anything to save my parents."

"What is it?" asked Paige, ignoring the fingers digging into her knee.

Caleb smiled. "My fiancée."

* * *

_I hope you liked it! And that it's at least semi-worth the wait. I won't make any promises for getting the next chapter up. My advice would be to treat this story as a nice surprise when it updates, but to not expect anything from me. I'm a big, not-dependable jerk. Gah. I really feel terrible for how long I left y'all hanging. All I ask is that you keep reading if you get any enjoyment out of it, and review. I do love hearing from you :)_


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